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Beware of credit schemers |
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Thursday, 13 September 2007 16:42 |
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Dear Editor,
I just wanted to share my experience with other Namibians. I put an ad in a certain newspaper for a flat. A certain gentleman sent me an SMS saying he had a beautiful flat by the sea side. This was great news to me, cause I needed something nice quickly.
When I tried to call him back, he rejected my call but called me back a minute later. We did some sharp talking, and he said that he wasn’t at the flat at that moment but at a farm and so couldn’t meet me to show me the flat. He did however say that he had a friend who he could contact to show me the place. When I asked for the friend’s number, he said that his friend had a German number and that if I could send him credit because he was on a farm he would talk to the guy himself. In the end I offered him a certain amount of credit, but he said it was best to double it.
Before you even ask..., sure I had some reservations but I sent him credit anyway. As soon as I had sent it though, I knew I had been schemed. I told my colleague about this experience and she told me she also knew someone who had been schemed the same way, only this other person was looking to buy a house. So just a warning to those of you who put ads in newspapers, DON’T FALL FOR IT! Nekulu Kamoli |
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Mvula, misinterpreting the Namibian Constitution! |
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Thursday, 13 September 2007 16:41 |
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Dear Editor, On 5 September 2007, between 18h00 and 19h00, I was listening to one of the evening programmes. In giving feedback and responding to a question posed by a concerned citizen on why Grade 10 learners are not allowed to repeat if they fail Grade 10, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Education, Toivo Mvula, quoted the Namibian Constitution.
Mvula responded that the Namibian Constitution states that: “Primary education is only compulsory up to the age of 16. He went to imply that their hands are tied unless an amendment is made to the law. Article 20 (2)(3) of the Namibian Constitution, is very clear and simply states that “Primary Education shall be compulsory and the State shall provide reasonable facilities to render effective this right for every resident within Namibia, by establishing and maintaining state schools at which primary education will be provided free of charge. Children shall not be allowed to leave school until they have completed their primary education or have attained the age of sixteen (16) years, whichever is the sooner, save in so far as this may be authorised by an Act of Parliament on grounds of health or other considerations pertaining to the public interest.”
Education is a right and not a privilege. It is sub Article 2 that envisages a mandatory education at primary level which the State has to provide free of charge to every resident in Namibia and there is no age-limit attached to that. It is sub Article 3 which mandates all education stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, not to allow any primary school child to leave school without completing it. The “age of sixteen (16) is a conditional option which can be applied on the grounds of health or on public interest to be authorised by an Act of Parliament. Is there any existing Act of Parliament on primary education, may I ask?.
Mvula seems to be a spokesperson of the Ministry for the sake of it. If he does not understand the laws, policies, regulations, principles and rules guiding that Ministry, how will he express it’s views? It is very risky to start applying the Namibian Constitution in a selective and wrong way because that will make us commit serious blunders which will lead to its abuse and violation.. Mvula is silent on “… primary education which shall be provided free of charge,” why? This double-talk about Education in this country does necessitate a National Conference of Education, urgently! Steven Mvula
Namibia
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Namibians swindled in Tunga Tunga house scam |
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Thursday, 13 September 2007 16:41 |
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Dear Editor, Please allow me the opportunity to complain through your newspaper about the Tunga Tunga Africa Trust.
In September 2006, I transferred N$33,000 to a First National Bank (FNB) Tunga Tunga Building Trust account under the agreement that Tunga will construct a movable house from metallic sandwich panels. There was also an additional N$350 for membership and a processing fee which I paid in July 2006 to start the process. After the full payment was received I telephoned the owner Elsie Pandu Yu-Kun who promised delivery of the movable house in January of 2007. According to our agreement, the house was supposed to have been completed months ago in January. In February 2007, after I did not hear from Tunga Tunga, I followed up with a telephone call to the office of Pandu Yu-Kun, but was unsuccessful in reaching her. I have since learnt that the office number was no longer in service and that the office had been relocated. I further tried to locate her by using the mobile phone number she gave me at the time of our negotiations, but without success. During the third week of February 2007, I finally was able to speak with Pandu Yu-Kun regarding the status of the movable house. She promised me that the house would be ready by the end of February 2007. She did not offer an apology or a legitimate reason as to why the house was not ready on time. She told me that she was working on the house and promised over and over that it would be completed and delivered at the end of February.
During the first week of March 2007, I asked to cancel the order since it was evident that Pandu Yu-Kun and Tunga Tunga had not fulfilled the agreement to deliver the house in the time specified in the contract. She told me at the time that there was a 32-business-day time limit for cancellation, if I needed a refund. The refund cheque would therefore, only be ready on 17 April 2007. As of the date of this letter, I have not received the house or the refund cheque.
After spending extensive time calling and going back and forth, I flew to Windhoek only to realise in horror and disbelief that I was not the only one in a similar dilemma. I found an unhappy crowd of people lined up from the lobby to the inside of Tunga Tunga’s office. It was apparent that we had all been deceived and swindled by Elsie Pandu Yu-Kun. I only met Elsie Pandu Yu-Kun once during my visit to Windhoek and it was after the Easter holidays. She closed her office for about three weeks without any reason given to the customers.
I am requesting your assistance to expose this woman and her company for their fraudulent business practices. It is a shame that she continues to accept new customers and is paid large sums of money without delivering the service and product that she promises. She is perpetrating fraud in the heart of the city. She is a manipulator and a thief who engages in false advertising. Elsie Pandu Yu-Kun and Tunga Tunga business do not live up to their mission statement. Her mission statement on the website and in a Tanzanian newspaper states: “We will be working in line with the country’s development plans to empower people with moral and material support to fight against poverty, all aiming at giving poor people easy means to make their life simple.” The majority of Tunga Tunga customers are not privileged. They are desperate people from rural areas who heard about the programme through an agent she hired to go around a targeted area. Once a deposit is made, customers are given a required outline of items that they should have before the house is delivered. These customers have lost money paying for foundations and buying supplies for their promised houses. I spent money buying bathroom supplies and building blocks in preparation for the promised house as instructed by Elsie and her staff. I am seeking your help on the behalf of myself and the countless other poor people of Windhoek who were swindled out of their very, very meagre resources by this charlatan. She is perpetrating fraud and is violating business ethics. Please help us to put a stop to this travesty. Nduvaa Nguaiko,
New York
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Otjiwarongo maintenance office understaffed |
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Thursday, 13 September 2007 16:40 |
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Dear Editor I am very concerned about the magistrate’s office in Otjiwarongo. Perhaps the Minister of Justice can help or do something about the under staffing situation there. I go there every month to collect my children’s maintenance money but there is only one man in that office to attend to clients at both counters.
If someone walks in while he is busy with the maintenance payouts, he has to stop what he is doing to attend to those who want to pay their fines. It is really frustrating because some of us only go there to collect the maintenance money only during lunch hour.
Maintenance money can only be collected on Thursdays. If you go to this office on Thursdays, you will find a lot of people and the poor man has to do his best to satisfy customers at both counters. Please Ministry of Justice, do something about the situation. |
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