Dear Editor,
 
I have just finished my teaching qualification from the Rundu College of Education. Three years ago when I started, I was uncertain that there would come a day when I would finish my studies. Firstly, I am sure as my fellow loan holders would testify, the money proved not to be enough and sometimes one could not afford many necessities such as stationery. My wish is that the Ministry of Education should seriously consider improving the student teacher loans and also ensure that living conditions at the colleges are improved. After all we are future teachers, it does not look good when your condition is so bad that instead of focusing on teaching or learning to teach, you always worry about what to eat or wear.   Secondly, I have to appeal to the Ministry of Education to reconsider the way loans are allocated to students and the way they are being used. My disappointment is that college management is too much on the ownership of students’ loans. Students only use about 65% of the loan and the rest disappears without students’ knowledge. The breakdown of the loan by the college is always incomplete, for instance the N$450 deduction from year 1 to year 3, the N$100 for printing, and the left over from Edumeds, is not used-up completely. If a student used 65% of the loan that means the student has to pay back that 65% plus the interest on 65% loan. It is not fair to pay the money one did not use?  The out cry to re-look college management’s application of students’ loans is clear and should be done.   I would like to suggest that either the college or the ministry should compile figures on the money used by each student from year 1 to year 3, as this will enable the student to know how much to payback. For instance in 2006, students received only three printing cards while they were supposed to receive four. In 2007, they got only two, where are the rest? Even the printing cards that we received we did not finish using them. We still have and so what is going to be done about this?  On the lecturing staff, I really want to encourage them to be serious with their work, many of them do whatever they feel like doing. To me it is quite shameful for a lecturer to have students fail their subjects. If all students fail a particular lecturer’s subject, it shows how incompetent they are and it is not really something they can celebrate about.  Otherwise, I really want to thank the Government for the opportunity given to me and many others to complete our studies. I know that the country has many challenges not only for student teachers but I think an educated nation begins with the quality of its teachers.
Allow me also to say a final word to my fellow would-be student teachers, stand firm and work hard to make a success of the opportunity you have so that the Ministry of Education can extend similar loans to other students from needy communities.
 
Muhona B. Ngurare
Rundu

Dear Mr. Editor
 
Please allow me space in your newspaper in order for me to clarify some facts in your edition of  10th  January 2008 with the title “ Sex tourism on the rise in Namibia”  written by Tawanda Kanhema.  Firstly, a good journalist make a good research and never wait till no# 99 scavenge around to get what he you can lay your hands on in order to fill up the empty gabs or space in your paper with tarnishing issues. I respect Freedom of the Press and of Expression but in my opinion, it is very good if one can be factual and ethical in what he/she is writing about.  I know that journalist are people sits there and for 3 year todler to fell from the balcony, blood split and they write what they regard as good and strong story to the paper, very tarnishing. To come back to what I requested a space for is:
 (a) I am not a Consumer Services Manager at NTB (have your facts straight and clear) Mr. Kanhema.
(b) “German tourist are not the leading sex tourism consumers in the country” but the leading contributes to the tourism growth in the country. Never mind, the mis-quotes , is all about hunger for negative writing or maybe more attention. Please guys, stop spending so much time in PUBS and doing nothing untill the last minutes and start calling around on your poor quality phones that maybe if you want,affect your hearsay, because you will end up not writing as it is (ask the Namibian) they will lecture you well.
 (c)Spare yourself enough time to research on an article and have a strong  to write about, not just none sense.  (d) For those tourist that happen to recklessly involved in sexual relations with locals in every destination, if recklessly involved, the risk is there to contract HIV Aids virus, please say it as it is.
(e) The owners of the un-registered establishments are in most case aware of people that lodge at their apartments without any proof of employment(income) but do nothing to question that as it is none of their business but where aware of the happenings(sex trade at their premises)
(f) NTB has never contacted a Sex Tourism survey but has research on hot spots or danger zones for tourist which includes those mentioned in the article for either being attacked for the sake of cameras, money and if otherwise been harassed by the sex workers.
 I am urging you sir to please review the article in question with the author and feel free to contact me at:
 Law Kavari
Tel: + 290 60 17 Direct 
NTB
Consumer Services Officer

Editor’s Note
Thank you Mr Kavari for your letter which has been published as is. Besides your tirade against the journalist, you have not made a single contribution that would alter the meaning and content of the story written by Tawanda Kanhema. After labelling journalists, you go on to repeat the same points you were quoted making in Kanhema’s story on sex tourism. I was hoping for a more meaningful contribution, and not half-denials. Your letter is a repeat of the story we published. Ed.