Making A Better World - Milton Louw

What does this mean for as consumers of the Government of the Republic of Namibia? STANDARDS INFORMATION COURTESY AND HELPFULNESS CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION ACCOUNTABILITY TRANSPARENCY NON-DISCRIMINATION QUALITY OF SERIVCE VALUE FOR MONEY ACCESSIBILITY In Namibia, the Government is one of the biggest single employers and provides services in all sectors of the economy.  Thus it is an important service provider and according to President Hifikepunye Pohamba, "there is a growing international trend for governments, in both developed and developing countries, to focus on the need to provide greater value for money in the delivery of public services. This has led to greater awareness that public services must improve the quality of the service being rendered to the customers: citizens, tourists and visiting businessmen and women. For Namibia to realise Vision 2030, we must "walk to talk" and sharpen our commitment to improve the quality of services deliv...

During the past few weeks there have been articles in newspapers about GMO’s and the various protests staged around the world against the company Monsanto which manufactures GMO’s. A number of consumers contacted the Consumer News Namibia Magazine to find out more about the issue. Are GMO’s safe? Are GMOs labeled? What are the impacts of GMOs on the environment? How do GMOs affect farmers? Namibia is planning on testing for GMO’s GMO’s, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals. These experimental combinations of genes from different species cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding. Most commercial GMOs are engineered to withstand direct application of herbicide (weedkillers) or to produce an insecticide (to kill insects that eat them). Despite biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield...

Many people complain about banks’ customer service especially during the payday of the 20 th , 25 th and end of the month. This is something which is easy to pick up as a consumer because we are physically experiencing the frustration of standing in a queue.  However there is another problem that we do not often notice but that is costing you money. This problem is the one of bank charges. Sometimes the bank charges us and we complain but not very often we do not actually realise that the bank charges were incorrectly calculated. Recently a consumer complained about a bank mistake that cost him more money than expected. “I have been a customer of a certain bank for over twenty years and generally consider their service to be the best of all the banks in the country. Recently however, I had to re-evaluate my opinion. By chance I had been asked to provide a copy of my bank statements of the past six months for a business deal I wished to conclude. Upon glancing through the ...

(Because the original page is no longer available online:  http://prayerfoundation.org/mother_teresa_do_it_anyway.htm )   The verses below reportedly were written on the wall of  Mother Teresa's  home for children in  Calcutta, India,  and are widely attributed to her.  Some sources say that the words below were written on the wall in  Mother Teresa's  own room.  In any case, their association with  Mother Teresa  and the  Missionaries of Charity  has made them popular worldwide, expressing as they do, the spirit in which they lived their lives.  They seem to be based on a composition originally by  Kent Keith,  but much of the second half has been re-written in a more spiritual way.  Both versions are shown below. ___________________________________________ 1. The version found written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta:       ...

I need your help. I have entered the Web Summit People's Stage and need your vote. Please follow the link and press like if you support my entry. My topic is: "Most African countries (e.g. Namibia) are creating central registers for voters rolls, home affairs data, etc. using biometric collection methods. Yet many do not have Data Protection or Electronic Transaction laws or even basic Consumer Rights legislation. How must Governments create mechanism that protect basic personal data rights while still using technology to ensure improved service delivery of government services? Governments and civil society have to work out methodologies that protect not only the data or the possible theft of data, but also the methods of seeking citizens permission of the way their data is used" Link: http://www.websummit.net/competitions/peoples-stage/entries.html#3-526

The Namibia Consumer Protection Group (NCPG) has taken note of the continued loss of lives on our roads and wishes to propose a Passenger Charter for Road Transport in Namibia. The following core rights must be applicable to all regular services, irrespective of the distance of the service provided: • non-discriminatory transport conditions, • access to transport for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility at no  additional cost and the financial compensation for the loss or damage of their mobility equipment, • minimum rules on travel information for all passengers before and during their  journey as well as general information about their rights; and • a complaint handling mechanism by carriers available to all passengers. If the distance travelled is 250 km or more (long-distance services) we propose: • passengers be given a ticket (printed or cellphone message) proving their entitlement to transport, • compensation and assistance in case of death,...

"Without moral and intellectual independence, there is no anchor for national independence." - David Ben-Gurion Namibia has a duty to speak out against all acts that deprive any individual of their fundamental human rights. The first line of the preamble to our Constitution states “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is indispensable for freedom, justice and peace;” It is therefore the duty of each Namibian citizen, and all our political leaders to show moral leadership in our undertakings with all countries of the world. http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2011/march/the-zimbabwean-the-voiceless-campaign A new advertising campaign for The Zimbabwean highlights the newspaper's role in giving a voice to the people of Zimbabwe. The posters feature images taken by photojournalists who have worked in the country over the last two years, and direct viewers to the newspaper's  w...