Monday, 28 February 2011

Kuli Riberts article Sunday World - Jou ma se kinders - Eish, I miss daai lippies vannie Kaap

Jou ma se kinders - Eish, I miss daai lippies vannie Kaap - Sunday World (South Africa) 27 February 2011
Bitches Brew Column: Nomakula Roberts

Being from Cape Town, I miss say I miss Cape coloured women.

When I was young, I used to love playing with their silky hair and wished I could get rid of my kinky course variety.
"What’s wrong with you?" asked my friend while applying skin lightener.
"Black is beautiful, why would you wanna be any other race?"
I ignore her and her weave and go back to my dreams of being yellow and speaking like I’m singing.

Coloured girls are the future for various reasons:
They will never leave dark foundation on your shirt after a hug;
You will never run out of cigarettes;
You will always be assured of a large family as many of these girls breed as if Allan Boesak sent them on a mission to increase the coloured race;
They don’t have to fork out thousands on their hair as they mostly have silky hair that doesn’t need relaxers or weaves;
They always know where to get hair curlers and wear them with pride, even in shopping malls;
You don’t have to listen to those clicks most African languages have;
They are the closest thing to being a white woman and we know you black men love them as they look like they’ve popped out of an Usher music video;
Their bruises are more obvious than ours, so if you hit her it will be easier to see;
They don’t have to send their sons to initiation school, where they stand a chance of getting a horrendous infection and even dying.

My friend disagrees with me about coloured women.
She insists that black guys don’t date crazy people.
"What?" she says. "Coloureds are nuts because:

They drink Black Label beer and smoke like chimnys;
They shout and throw plates;
They have no front teeth and eat fish like they are trying to deplete the ocean;
They love to fight in public and most are very violent;
They’re always referring to your mother’s this or that;
They know exactly what Tik is;
They love designer clothes;
They love making love, and leave even the randiest negro exhausted;
They walk around in their gowns and pyjamas during the day.

What is wrong with my friend? I wonder.

So what if folk walk around in their gowns and pyjamas during the day, especially since they will eventually go back to bed?
Why waste washing powder?

Shouting is also sometimes necessary, especially when you speak to folk like Jimmy Manyi, who might not have a clue what he is talking about.

Designer labels are mostly made in the Cape, so why should they not love them?

Referring to one’s mother should also not be an issue, unless a monkey gave birth to you.

Besides, reminding you of your mother shouldn’t be a bad idea. Call her now.

What the hell is wrong with loving sex? Should they hate it?

Just because my friend is a lousy lay doesn’t mean the entire coloured nation should not like protected sex.

Knowing what tik is doesn’t necessarily mean one is using it, I told my daft friend.

Saying they are violent is also a generalisation.

I know plenty of coloured fraudsters and coloured Hari Krishnas.

Of course I miss coloured people. Which other race do you know that is more obsessed with naai masjiene. Oh, and I don’t mean sewing machines.

Besides, only in the Cape would you hear somebody screaming out: Jou ma owe jou hond sex geld!"

(keeping a copy before it gets deleted)

Friday, 25 February 2011

What does Reconciliation mean in Namibia

Why is Reconciliation important to me - My father was in the South African Army that occupied this country. Even when I was arrested in 1988 as part of the uprising, he could not understand my views. With the policy of reconciliation, I was better able to understand and forgive him.

It was disturbing today to look at some of the pictures printed by the Swapo News Editor, Asser Ntinda, today 25 February 2011.

The pictures were truly gruesome - but that was not the most disturbing.The writer seemed to miss completely the spirit of what Reconciliation is.

Identifying ways in which offenders are assisted to redress the material and emotional damage they have inflicted through self-reflection, acknowledgment of responsibility, remorse, and compensation would be an important step towards establishing an environment of reconciliation.

I therefore cut some excerpts from an online paper to once again define what our National Reconciliation should entail in Namibia


What Does Reconciliation Entail?
taken from: http://www.gppac.net/documents/pbp/part1/2_reconc.htm

Reconciliation as a conflict handling mechanism entails the following core elements:
a) Honest acknowledgment of the harm/injury each party has inflicted on the other;
b) Sincere regrets and remorse for the injury done:
c) Readiness to apologize for one’s role in inflicting the injury;
d) Readiness of the conflicting parties to ‘let go’ of the anger and bitterness caused by the conflict and the injury;
e) Commitment by the offender not to repeat the injury;
f) Sincere effort to redress past grievances that caused the conflict and compensate the damage caused to the extent possible;
g) Entering into a new mutually enriching relationship.

Reconciliation then refers to this new relationship that emerges as a consequence of these processes. What most people refer to as ‘healing’ is the mending of deep emotional wounds (generated by the conflict) that follow the reconciliation process.

The essence of reconciliation is the voluntary initiative of the conflict parties to acknowledge their responsibility and guilt. The interactions that transpire between the parties are not only meant to communicate one’s grievances against the actions of the adversary, but also to

...................engage in self-reflection about one’s own role and behaviour in the dynamic of the conflict. In other words, in this kind of dialogue, as much as one attributes guilt and responsibility to the adversary for the damage generated by the conflict, one has to also be self-critical and acknowledge responsibility for his or her own role in the creation or perpetuation of the conflict and hurtful interaction.

The aim of such interaction is that, in the final analysis, each of the parties acknowledges and accepts his or her responsibility and out of such recognition seeks ways to redress the injury that has been inflicted on the adversary, to refrain from further damage, and to construct new positive relationships.

Identifying ways in which offenders are assisted to redress the material and emotional damage they have inflicted through self-reflection, acknowledgment of responsibility, remorse, and compensation would be an important step towards establishing an environment of reconciliation.

What does Reconciliation mean

What Does Reconciliation Entail?
taken from:

Reconciliation as a conflict handling mechanism entails the following core elements:
a) Honest acknowledgment of the harm/injury each party has inflicted on the other;
b) Sincere regrets and remorse for the injury done:
c) Readiness to apologize for one’s role in inflicting the injury;
d) Readiness of the conflicting parties to ‘let go’ of the anger and bitterness caused by the conflict and the injury;
e) Commitment by the offender not to repeat the injury;
f) Sincere effort to redress past grievances that caused the conflict and compensate the damage caused to the extent possible;
g) Entering into a new mutually enriching relationship.

Reconciliation then refers to this new relationship that emerges as a consequence of these processes. What most people refer to as ‘healing’ is the mending of deep emotional wounds (generated by the conflict) that follow the reconciliation process.

The essence of reconciliation is the voluntary initiative of the conflict parties to acknowledge their responsibility and guilt. The interactions that transpire between the parties are not only meant to communicate one’s grievances against the actions of the adversary, but also to

...................engage in self-reflection about one’s own role and behaviour in the dynamic of the conflict. In other words, in this kind of dialogue, as much as one attributes guilt and responsibility to the adversary for the damage generated by the conflict, one has to also be self-critical and acknowledge responsibility for his or her own role in the creation or perpetuation of the conflict and hurtful interaction.

The aim of such interaction is that, in the final analysis, each of the parties acknowledges and accepts his or her responsibility and out of such recognition seeks ways to redress the injury that has been inflicted on the adversary, to refrain from further damage, and to construct new positive relationships.

Identifying ways in which offenders are assisted to redress the material and emotional damage they have inflicted through self-reflection, acknowledgment of responsibility, remorse, and compensation would be an important step towards establishing an environment of reconciliation.

Monday, 21 February 2011

Free business textbook for studying International Business Diploma

Many business owners and managers need to have reference textbooks close at hand when dealing with issues outside their usual focus. To assist, the Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship (IMEN)put together this short list of free text books available online to assist you in your business.

The same textbooks are used in the curricula for the International Diploma in Business.

Business Organisation
Management Basics - http://alturl.com/rp6fk
Commercial Awareness for Managers - http://alturl.com/ew5di
Thinking Strategically - http://alturl.com/jj96b

Effective Business Communication
Effective Communication Skills – http://alturl.com/yz2am

Finance
Finance for non-financial managers - http://alturl.com/4dmn7

Human Resources
Managing the Human Resource in the 21st century - http://alturl.com/2f2rm
Generational challenges in the workplace - http://alturl.com/gm2hi

Marketing
Effective Marketing - http://alturl.com/ggeim
Customer Relationship Management - http://alturl.com/58b5s

Who is best on (Namibian) Twitter?

The whole world is becoming focussed on social media and the number of users on Facebook, Twitter, etc. However, very little reliable information or statistics seems to be available about Namibian user and their preferences.

So, while I had very little to do this weekend while sitting in a cold Düsseldorf, I decided to look at what figures I could put together. This first place to start was Twitter. Twitter is the site where I get most of my introductions to a topic after which I may decide to look into it further and click on the link. Because of the limit of only 140 characters, I don’t have to worry much about missing a comment by a friend because some other “friends” has loaded dozens of pictures or played lots of games.

News providers
I started my Twitter search by looking at the Namibian media, that is, the companies or websites who provide information on Namibia. This is what I found in order of the most followers (as at 22.02.11):

#namibia_news - 1,980 followers. Most recent tweet 18 February 2011.
#radiowavefm – 220 followers. Most recent tweet 22 February 2011.
#unam974 – 151 followers. Most recent tweet 26 December 2010
#namibiansun – 136 followers. Most recent tweet 18 February 2011.
#namibiaelection – 125 followers. Most recent tweet 30 March 2010
#freshfm1029 – 129 followers.Most recent tweet 25 October 2010.
#thenamibian – 122 followers. Most recent tweet 11 February 2011.
#exposenewspaper – 113 followers. Most recent tweet 10 February 2011
#mynamibiainfo – 108 followers. Most recent tweet 22 February 2011
#99fmnam – 83 followers. Most recent tweet 22 February 2011. (The DJ’s of this station also have their own tweets and followers)
#namibeconomist - 15 followers. Most recent tweet 13 September 2011.
#republikein_na – 14 followers. Most recent tweet 13 January 2011.

As for my tweets, I have 43 followers and my most recent tweet was 17 February 2011.
Just for fun I also looked up #airnamibia. They have 209 followers and their last tweet was 22 June 2009.

Why give this information?
Perhaps by looking for information about tweets on Namibia will provide more people in Namibia a reason to use this social site. Compared to our uptake of Facebook, the usage on Twitter is way behind.

Is there such a thing as coloured?

I quote from a paper by R van der Ross at the Symposium on Slavery 2008 –
“The question of identity is one which elicits wide, wordy and largely useless response.
In this country there is continuous debate about the matter, and mostly about and from the Coloured people. Who are we? Why? Where from? Where to? Some even ask: Are we? Are there Coloured people? The ridiculousness of these questions is compounded by the attempts at answers: “We are not; we are not Coloured; we are simply human; we are, but we refuse to be called Coloured,” and so into various degrees of assininity. If the matter of mixed descent is raised, it will most likely be met with the response that all the peoples of the earth are mixed.

Of course there is some truth in this, but it evades the other truth namely that which the philosophers call “immediate perception.” We are Coloured because people look at us and regard us as Coloured. Finish en klaar.”
http://alturl.com/f4k9w

Friday, 18 February 2011

Who Am I?

by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhöffer, a young theologian of great promise, was martyred by the Nazis for his participation in a plot against the life of Adolf Hitler. His writings have greatly influenced recent theological thought. This article appeared in the Journal Christianity and Crisis, March 4, 1946.


Who am I? They often tell me
I stepped from my cell’s confinement
Calmly, cheerfully, firmly,
Like a squire from his country-house.
Who am I? They often tell me
I used to speak to my warders
Freely and friendly and clearly,
As though it were mine to command.
Who am I? They also tell me
I bore the days of misfortune
Equally, smilingly, proudly,
Like one accustomed to win.

Am I then really all that which other men tell of?
Or am I only what I myself know of myself?
Restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage,
Struggling for breath, as though hands were
compressing my throat,
Yearning for colors, for flowers, for the voices of birds,
Thirsting for words of kindness, for neighborliness,
Tossing in expectation of great events,
Powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance,
Weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making,
Faint, and ready to say farewell to it all?

Who am I? This or the other?
Am I one person today and tomorrow another?
Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others,
And before myself a contemptibly woebegone weakling?
Or is something within me still like a beaten army,
Fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?
Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine.
Whoever I am, Thou knowest, 0 God, I am Thine!

Tuesday, 15 February 2011

Predictions for the future of social networking

.... on the future of social networking from the consumer point of view, based on Cheskin Added Value’s research in this area:

Multiple linked social networks: We will be able to customise our social networks for different purposes, and the one-size-fits-all Facebook-type network will decline. We’ll have networks of college friends, real personal friends, personal acquaintances, business contacts, fellow book lovers, Zynga game players, neighbors, foodies, etc. And we won’t have to log into multiple different networks with different rules to make this possible.

Track responses across social networks: We’ll be able to easily track and find posts across different networks and email services. Right now, I communicate with people on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, my Android phone texts, work email, and personal email. It’s hard to remember which service I need to respond to in order to get back to someone.

Reduction of information overload: It will be easier to get relevant articles, blogs, and posts networked to us. It’s more than recommendations from our social graph, because right now that social graph is way too broad. I don’t want to read about desalinization plants, just because a friend is into that topic. Even on Twitter, it’s hard to reduce the amount of input to something I can keep up with. I have to cut off whole people, rather than narrow the topics I want to hear about. Again, this is the holy grail of social networking – to be able to mine our contacts and interests to get the information we want easily. Social networking should reduce information overload, not add to it. The promise of the future is a much improved Stumbleupon.

Ability to have real conversations: We’ll have networks, especially business-related, that have vibrant conversations, the way FriendFeed used to. People commonly have this on Facebook about personal interests, but I haven’t found anything that works well for business, perhaps excepting those uber-connected folks who can get responses quickly. Twitter’s 140 character limit doesn’t work very well for real conversations.

Social networking sites will reshape the future of search: With Facebook potentially rising to challenge the dominance of Google’s users and traffic, and/or integrating to provide greater synergistic value. Social search will become a core part of search, as the social web expands in volume and value.

http://memeburn.com/2011/02/conflicting-ideas-on-the-future-of-social-networking/

How Government should intervene in the financial sector

I have just received a briefing paper from the Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik / German Development Institute concerning "The potential of pro-market activism as a tool for making finance work for Africa: a political economy perspective".

The author argues that:
"This suggests that information on creditworthiness is basically a public good, in the sense that it is non-rival in consumption and it is very costly to exclude anyone from using it. When the market fails to let banks appropriate the returns of information about their costumers, banks will under-invest in the acquisition of such information.
.....
Credit registries give access to clients’ credit history and increase the transparency of borrower quality, which makes it safer for financial institutions to lend to new customers.
.......
The Kenyan Central Bank (CBK) took the initiative and issued a regulation which mandated financial institutions to share information with credit bureaus
."

They are funded by Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH. The project this is done under is called "Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A)" copyof the paper can be found oline at http://www.die-gdi.de/CMS-Homepage/openwebcms3.nsf/(ynDK_contentByKey)/ANES-8DNAK4/$FILE/DP%202.2011.pdf


List of my Facebook Friends - 19 January 2011

'Simoné Ziegelmüller
Abdul Khadar
Abdul Salaam Ya David
Abel Tcheeli Tcha Willy
Abigail Ntlai
Abiud Karongee
Abner Axel Xoagub
Abrida Gaoses
Adeline Husselmann
Adminus Teamus
Adrian Schofield
Adrianus Smith
Afra Schimming-Chase
Africa Climate
Agnes Kleophas
Agnes Nandjila Anghuwo
Aida S Nocturnal
Aimy Aimlizo
Aishah Shigwedha
Akuunda Josef
Alan Tait
Alayshya Meredith Clarke
Albert Ndopu
Albertina Anderson
Albertina Niilonga Nangolo
Aldrin Chantell Abrahams
Alex Madjarov
Alex Pfeiffer
Alex Zacharia
Alexander Priburk
Alfred Ilukena
Alfred Ward
Ali Tee
Alistair Arthur Africä
Alistaire Marquard
Allysiah Emvula
Alynsia Platt
Alzenna Roxanne Fayne Thomas
Ama Klutse
Amalia Vixenne Laz
Amanda Rhode
Ambrosius Nameya
Amor King
Amor Mc Nab
Amunyela Gwanuusiku
Analize Olivier
Andeline Kloppers
Andi Meng
Andre Grobbelaar
Andre Le Roux
Andre Van Vuuren
Andre Vd Merwe
Andreas Oshefi Kalumbu
André J. Gariseb
Andréa Guerreiro
Angela Angie Ochurus
Angelique Danielz
Angula DiCaprio
Anna-Etuhole Nicodemus
AnnaJuicy Auala
Annaly Eimann
Anne Thandeka Gebhardt
Annemarie Saunderson
Annes Muller
Anri Minnie
Ansie Hanekom
Anthony Nikolaus Bessinger
Antoinette Wentworth
Anuschka Beukes
Anya Sonet Links
Areatha Grove Dickson
Arlene Louw
Arnold Farmer
Arthur Stephanus
Ashley Ashes Roberts
Ashley Stephanus
Aston Ashley White
Aubrey Prinz
Auburn Mouton
Audrey Nortje
Augetto Graig
Aulden Harlech-Jones
Aupindi Tobie Aupindi
Auriel Aweries
Autti Ipinge
Avel Ntini
Aveshe Dishena
Axel Omega
Azaan Sitzer
Ba Munyanya Kulobone
Baltwin Loock
Barbara Snyders
Barry Tshikesho
Basil Rickerts
Beaulla Kazondovi
Belinda Scharneck Green
Benjamin Barry G. Visagie
Benjamin BenZo Ambambi
Benjamin Lyon
Bernadette Bock
Bernadus Swartbooi
Berney Beukes
Berny Menyah-Artivor
Betsy Basson
Beulah Sinden
Bhekie Don Swazi Methula
Bianca Maasdorp
Bicardo Brandt
Bill Nekwiyu
Bill Torbitt
Blondel Nyamkure
Blue Di Matteo
Bolokang Motshwane
Boni Paulino
Boris Claasen
Braam Cupido
Brandon Oosthuizen
Brian Claasen
Brian Izaaks
Brian Julius
Brian Prinz
Bridget Pickering
Brijendra Singh Jasrotia
Bryan Wild
Buks Koekemoer
Byron Joseph
Camilla Kotze
Carl Schafer
Carlos Lopes
Carlos Marques
Carmen Carmi Coetzee
Carmen Dunn
Caroline Kotze
Catherine Korengkeng
Ceaseria Matiti
Cecil Moller
Cecilia Eva Pretorius
Cedric Hammond
Celestine Selborne
Charles Ash
Charles Jansen
Charles Quenton
Charlie Paxton
Charmaine Christ Morkel
Charmaine Louw
Charmaine Marais
Charmaine Weii
Charmelle Johr
Charmelle Mo Johr
Charny Strauss
Chloé Jade StaRr ✩
Christa Biwa
Christa Sowden
Christel Roos
Christel Vries Johannes
Christian Nickenig
Christian Senkel
Christie Benade
Christophina Ivula
Christy Nicole Perestrelo
Chrséle MissBoss Rispel
Chrys de Klerk
Clarice Theys
Claudia Uapingene
Claus Drotsky
Clemence Kauatuuapehi
Clifford Lyners
Colin Coertzen
Colin Millar
Colin Stanley
Colleen Kurz
Collin Mpumzile
Connie Owoses
Conrad Vermaak
Cooks Kunamwene
Corbin Benade
Cuana Angula
Cynthia Malgas
Cynthia Rukira
Cyrlene Claasen
D'Beertjie Tigerlover Louw
Daizy Schwartz
Dalton Hashondali Ashikoto
Danie Botha
Daniel Hagemann
Daniel Kanyanga
Danielle Ellitson
Danielle Ellitson
Danmil VwFreak Claassen
Danny van Rooyen
Dany Kuriakose
Darren Nathan Solomon
Dauredama Areseb
David Nuuyoma
Debbie Mouton
Dee Sauls
Deejay Cmbaville
Delicia Phillips
Delstin Smith
Delvalene Greeve
Denise Dewaldt
Denise Mannel
Denver Anderson
Denver Chanvall Kramolowski
Deolinda Hapulile
Deon Louw
Deon Rautenbach
Deon Tertuliano Vilas
Deovanni Van Zyl
Derek Fredericks
Deria van Wyk
Derick Schoonbee
Desderia Nuusiku Ipumbu
Desiré 'Dolly' Arnold
Dewald Kleynhans
Didier Nyembo
Dietlind Dietterle
Dina Nguripo Tuaandi
Dirk Fourie Booysen
DjBirdy Shipanga
Dolly Shafashike
Dolly Simon
Donavin Tjihoreko
Doris Roos
Douglas Kaura
Dries Duvenhage
Droopy Namibia
Duke Rt Kempel
Duwayne G-wakee Scholtz
Ebben Kalondo
Eddie Holloway
Eddie Stevens
Eduan 'Boeta Goggs' Claasen
Edward Ward
Edwin Pagel
El-John Chelsea Bruce
Elfriede Mungunda
Elias Ambambi
Elisabeth Eck
Elma Taylor
Elmone Kim Rhode
Elone Selborne
Elsa de Jager
Elsie Rowyena Eises
Elvirah Muchali
Elzene Nicole Asino
Emilia Mkusa
Emmarencia van Wyk
Emsie Esterhuizen
Eneas Nampala
Enginie L. Black
Enrico Weissjunge
Erchwynn Nissan-boy Jansen
Ercilia Neri Afonso Augusto
Eric Osiakwan
Eric Quest
Erica Gebhardt
Eriq Simon
Ernest Morne Jackson
Errol Van Wyk
Esau Mbako
Esi Chase
Ester Ndafapawa Kashihakumwa
Esther Burkhardt
Esther Nandjila Groenewaldt
Eucane Markus
Evangelene Jepthas
Evaristo Kavikairiua Zemburuka
Evelyn Shilamba
Evilastus Kaaronda
Exposé Namibian Newspaper
Exsaviour Hillton Joseph
Fatimah A-towns Finest
Fauvé Auwsum October
Fenny Konstantin
Feo Von Francois
Ferdie Feris
Ferdie Wolfie Malherbe
Ferdinand Tjombe
Fernando Möller
Festus Kadhila
Flip Beukes
Forra Lalele Namwenyo
Fran Thomas
Frances Ferreira
Francois Francis
Francois Lottering
Frankie Lehman Ricky VanderPloeg
Franklin Chilinda
Freddie Strauss
Frieda Taapopi
Gabriella Gabby Delgado
Gagary Francisco
Gail Ferris
Gaolly Tjejamba
Garth Prinsonsky
Garth William Petersen
Gatsen Tjirare
Gebson Shipena
George Ellis Weston
George Karunga
George Odd
Georgy Porgy
Gerald Theodore du Preez
Gerhard Louw
Gero Knupp
Gerrit Jacobus Smit
Gerson Taupolo Topolo Hailundu
Gideon Nhundu
Gilliam Brandt
Gillian Davies
Gillian Parenzee
Gina Domingues Alves
Ginger Lynn
Giovanni Nova Mouton
Gisella Gowases
Gita Adams
Glenda Locke
Gloria Amakhoes Stoepie Owoses
Gloria Sifile
Gosetz Emsie Goseb
Grace Kamanya
Graham 'Graampies' Christians
Griffin 'Goepsie' Fisch
Grizelda Dunn
Grizelda Majiedt
Gunter Wenk
Gérsy Nelondo Zzinho
Hage Siegfriedt
Hans Diergaardt
Hans Edward Karon
Hans MagicMushroom Strydom
Hansie Jacobs
Hardray Coombs
Haroldt Urib
Harriet-ann Naftali
Harry Gonteb
Hartmut Wenk
Heather Van Harte
Heicky Nekongo
Heidi Rhodes Christ
Hein Scholtz
Helge Schütz
Hella Nghifindaka
Helmien Jansen van Vuuren-Visser
Heloise Beukes
Henriette Krohne
Henry Beukes
Henry James Kruger
Herbert Stanley
Hilja Katshuna
Hilmer Beukes
Hns Travels
Hobie Clark
Howard Basson
Hylton Ferreira
Iggy Shixwameni
Ilke Platt
Illodine Louw
Immanuel Ganuseb
Immanuel Ndiwakalunga
Immo Böhm
Imms Shawana Nashinge
Ingeborg von Luttichau
Ingrid Kloppers
Irma Solomons
Isabella Hurihe Hauses
Isabella Ndinelago Kapolo
Isac Hiriua
Ivan Selborne
Izak de Kock
Izelle Faaitjie Fielding
J.J. Hengari-Kandjou
Jackson Kaujeua Jr
Jacky SoulChild
Jacob Heim
Jacqueline Ronell Bassingthwaighte
Jacques Kritzinger
Jacquie Francis
Jaimè Klazen
Jakes Stramiss
Jan Buys
Jan Hendrik Duvenhage
Jan Poolman
Jane Al Saman
Jane Jelinda Owoses
Janice Lee-Anne Greyton
Janko Tatarik
Jannie Robbertze
Japie Strauss
Jason Maasdorp
Jason Naule
Jason O'Leary
Jason Prior
Jc Joe Lalla Vries
Jean Nel
Jeanette Farao
Jeevan Naidoo
Jemima Beukes
Jemimah Silva-shock West
Jenni-Lee Meyer Solomon
Jennifer Bassingthwaighte
Jennifer Kays
Jens Schneider
Jené Neya-Bbk Petersen
Jerry Muadinohamba
Jesaya Mukwambi
Jienie Van Wyk
Jim Martin
Jo Nghishidi
Jo-anna Amore Blue
Jo-anne Bella Smith
Joachim Bernstein
Joani Kittler
Jocelyn van der Westhuizen
Johan Badenhorst
Johan Nel
Johan Schutte
Johan Stander
Johan Strydom
Johann Louw
Johanna Cloete
Johanna Ousie Amakali
Johannes Batista Simon
John Garcia
John Grobler
Jolene Rachel Isaacs
Jonas Alweendo
Jonathan Sam
Jonathan Strauss
Joseph Kafunda
Josephine Mutenda
Josia JPesiano Joseph
Jossel Hindjou
Josue William Vemba
Joy Hank
Joyli Johanna Naftali
Juanita Bampton
Juanita Jordaan Bennie Buys
Judene Matthyse
Judy Van Wyk
Julene Scheepers
Julia Sade
Julian Ashley Comalie
Junaid Suleman
Junior Achievement Namibia
Justine Eling
Justine Kavamba
Jörn Geider
Kaleni Hiyalwa
Kalli Nkandi-Shankala
Kamayo Ntwala
Kamel Khairalla
Kapee Ndjiharine Kambirongo
Kathleen Gauises
Kayofad Tuhafeni
Kc Bravo
Kela Hamutenya
Kennedy Hamutenya
Kennedy Kenna Nambahu
Kenneth Abrahams
Kerstin Halfkann
Kesja Gandhi Khachas
Kiback Phimmasen
Kim Tabs
King Frans Indongo
King Mandume Muatunga
Kweku Schimming-Chase
Lahja Samuel
Laina M Kalumbu
Lana Louw
Langa Bantuana Thomas
Lars Roemheld
Laurika Williams
Lavinia Winter
Lawrence-Milica Davids
Lazarus Jacobs
Lazarus Jacobs
Lee Dia
Lee Louw
Lee Mieze
Lee-Ann Lola Delgado
Legg-Ghetto Amagulu
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Melissa SonnyJames Mouton
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Moira Delie
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Namibian Crafts Centre Ncc
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Quinton Adriaans
Quinton Liebenberg
Rachel Valentina Nghiwete
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Rainer Volkmann
Ramos Ramirez
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Randall Louw
Raphaël Nkolwoudou
Ras Levi
Ras Sheehama
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Rayfield Wright
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Renaldi Snowy Henckert
Renthia Nancy Kaukungwa
Reza Mckay
Riaan Solomon
Riana Hamilton Visser
Richard LeeBankz Aipinge
Richardine Nadine Bunz Kordom
Richardt N Jolanda Tjikongo
Rico Quinteiro
Rihan Jacobs
Rinelda Mouton
Ritsuko Shimabukuro Abrahams
Rob Parker
Rob Smorfitt
Robert De Mello Koch
Robert Dedig
Robin Tyson
Robyn Amber Plaatjies
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Rolanda Lyners
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Ronald Kubas
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Smile Beloved Land
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Stacey Price
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Stanley Makale
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Stephan Traut
Stephen Kotze
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Steve Leukes
Steve Motinga
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Transfer Excellence
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Veronique Goliath
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Victoria Matjila
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Walter Hankey
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Wilfried Brock
Willem Hanse
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William Van Rooyen
Willie Olivier
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Winston Douman
Winston Neville Sivertsen
Yanna Erasmus
Yi BGroup
Yolanda de Nysschen
Yolanda Feris
Yul Dean Andrews
Zac Visser
Zandré Zanaz Rittmann
Zanna-Lee Fleermuys
Zelda Quèén Tábby Naibas
Zenith Michelle Ferreira
Zennith Kaumbi
Zenobia April-Malema
Zenobia Mckay
Ziana Louw
Zoe Aspara
Zoe Titus
Zulaikha Stanley
Ṫḛṅḭḷḷḛ ṪḛṇẏḄḛḁṙ Ṿṍṇ Ṁḁṙṧḉḫḁḷḷ

Complaint about Reliance Motors cc

The following was received from a member of the public

I hereby wish to lodge a formal complaint against Reliance Motors cc for poor after sales service delivered to us. I also want to put forward a serious vote of no confidence in this dealer.

Reliance Motors cc is not as trustworthy as their name implies, maybe their cars but definitely not their service. The truth is that they are very reluctant to deliver good after sales service. We had a mechanical breakdown with our car on the 3rd of November 2010 and took it to them on the 4th of November for repairs.

The staff of Reliance Motors is simply not concerned about time, the inconvenience and humiliation we suffered throughout this ordeal. Client service is not a priority for them. They did not even have the decency to inform us once about their progress. We were the ones to phone and enquire on daily basis and even offer our help to speed up things, but to no avail. They simply have no sense of urgency to get the work done or simply do not care.

We are commuting daily to work and need our car desperately and are tired of their excuses, unprofessional and incompetent behaviour. We write this letter out pure frustration, unhappiness and helplessness with our predicament.

Is there any regulation body out there where one can report these arrogant car dealers?

Solving Namibia's economic problems - excerpt from Future Namibia

I read a very interesting piece on “Solving Africa’s Commercial Poaching Pandemic” by Ron Thomson and use his analogy below in relation to our economic problems.

“To begin to solve the problem we have to identify its real causes. This can be likened to the approach to the AIDS pandemic. In AIDS, like in economics, there are two levels that must be looked at. The underlying or “proximate” cause of an AIDS patient’s death – even though he dies of pneumonia or TB – is his primary infection with HIV. Pneumonia and TB – the “ultimate” cause of death – can be treated with modern medicines; but they do not work when the patient’s immune system has been destroyed by HIV. You cannot save an AIDS patient’s life by treating only the ultimate disease unless the proximate cause of the illness is removed.

Namibia’s economic problems have both proximate and ultimate causes, too. The solution must eliminate its proximate causes which are multiple and complex.

They include: a hugely expanding rural population that is moving to the urban areas; illiteracy – especially in regards Information Technology; lack of adequate schooling and medical care facilities; and their constantly escalating states of poverty.

But the principal proximate cause is poverty. Removing poverty from the equation will take lots of money. But where will the money come from if the solution is to be sustainable for Namibia?” [i]

It is time for us to stop the blaming game of “colonial masters” or “the white man”, and tackle our problems with both hands to show that Namibia can solve its own problems.

In this book I have used a wide variety of experiences and quotes from other people around the world that I think can influence and shape our future direction. Not only have I researched the history of countries and economic policies, where possible, I have also consulted with experts in various fields to provide specific solutions which we can use in Namibia. (While doing my research for this section of the book I spent a lot of time on research and quite a bit of time reading through some of the Ancient Greek philosophers. I especially enjoyed reading “A treatise on Government” by Aristotle and would suggest it to any reader. These, and others, I got free of charge from the Project Gutenberg – over 25,000 free books available online.[ii] )

These lessons and advice has been added to my experience and is summarised as policies for a future Namibia at the end of my book.


[i] Paraphrased from - Ron Thomson, Solving Africa’s Commercial Poaching Pandemic – African Sporting Gazette (Volume 11· Issue 3)
[ii] www.gutenberg.org

NTN -National Theatre of Namibia needs help - online Facebook management

Just tried to help the National Theatre of Namibia. Told them not to repost so often (every minute four times come on! All this does is show their own link over and over again on their advert - they of course do not see it, but the rest of us get it posted under each other four times) Guess what they do. Tell me that is marketing. Well they are now officially part of the type of marketing not to do.

They also get the bad customer service award for this week for not appreciating customer feedback. (BTW got a picture of the post for posterity)

If anyone knows the person responsible at NTN - PLEASE help them.

Friday, 4 February 2011

My life is good - living the jet-setting life in Düsseldorf

I am just finishing off this note then I am on my way to my flat here in Düsseldorf, Germany. The past few months have been an uphill battle to get here, but WOW, it was worth it.

This morning I woke up and looked out the window. (First, I must add, that the flat I am in has the most wonderful central heating;-) The view was one of the Rhine river and the skyline of Düssledorf. After a shower, small breakfast with some great coffee - it was off to work. My office is less than 10 minutes walk away and the pathway travels along the river almost the whole way.

At the office most of the collegues greet me and always have time to ask how I am getting along with the German langhuage, and the updating of my knowledge on their new software systems.

At lunch, have to choose from so many various types of bread to go with my chees and salami sandwich (Have decided to take the same filling, just change the bread everyday.)

After lunch, received my laptop (the iPad is not yet ready - damn) and the we finish work at 15:30.
Off for the weekend.

Now why am I telling you?

The past eleven years I have had a dream of creating a centralised computerised economic modelling system for countries in southern Africa. For most of this time, I have struggled and not been financially well off.

BUT, I have enjoyed myself. And when on days like these (85 days in EU), I must remember that all good things come to those who work for them.