Why so much South Africa news?

[LazarusM]

I wonder why there is so much news from South Africa on Shebeen, and little from Namibia?

[Oneword]

Lazarus, simple.


We are being inundated with SA news. Sometimes I think we are ashamed to even mention Nam news because in somebody's twisted mind it does not seem to compare in quantity or quality. A purely subjective viewpoint, of course. There is so much happening in good old Nam ... but we do not always hear about it and many do not WANT to hear about it.

[Shebeen]

Oneword is spot on, Lazarus. One other reason we post so much news from South Africa is because the South African Government runs a news agency called BuaNews, and their content can be reproduced at no cost. It's like a free news service.

Although there is much going on in Namibia, there are unfortunately very few free news sources available for web sites such as ours. We would love to post tonnes of news from Namibia, and it would be great if Nampa could provide access to its newsfeeds in the same manner as BuaNews does. That way the Nampa story would be told, and through it voices could be heard and views represented that would otherwise not be heard and read on the Internet.

At the moment the Nampa feed is too expensive for us to afford. We would need a generous sponsor or private individual to get access to it. Ultimately, though, we are aiming to get partnership agreements in place with more Nampa and other Namibia news sources and post their content here. The Shebeen is by Namibians for Namibians, and about Namibia - so the more Namibian news the better.

The other reason we post a lot of South African news is also simple: Namibia forms part of the wider region, and what happens in SA affects us profoundly, and deeply. So it makes sense, in our mind, to keep a tab on, as well as gain a better understanding about what is happening down South.

We hope this answers your question, and please feel free to let us know of any news you come to hear about, or post it to any of the forums here on Shebeen, as long as it does not breach any intellectual property or copyright notices.

[Oneword]

Maybe a little bit off on a tangent. I found it rather amusing though to see Pres. Pohamba and Pres Mbeki together like old buddies, nodding vigorously while saying SA and Nam are like two peas in a pod. What was that phrase ... Oh, yes, " inextricably linked".

Tongue firmly in cheek now: Are we back to pre-1990 or even earlier.

I seem to remember some or other politician from the old, racist SA dispensation saying something like "The territory (NAM!) should become a 5th province of SA" . Thank goodness, the UN did at least TWO good things in its 51? years of existence: 1. Declined the friendly SA offer and 2. insisted on 435!

[Oneword]

Just to add to this:

Seriously, though: Namibia can do very little on its own, especially as far as the fiscal area is concerned. Since we are part of the Common Monetary Area (CMA) AND have the SA Rand as legal tender, we have to jump every time Mboweni says increase/decrease interest rates. It just wouldn't do to have two differing rates in SA and Nam. Could cause havoc in the banking sector.

On the other hand, too, we import more than 85% of all our goods from SA. Imagine the borders (in all respects!) being closed! We'll have to grow mealies and mahangu in our backyards. Thank goodness Namibia Breweries is still there to drown the sorrows of having only NBC to watch!

[Ar.]

Hi Lazarus,

Is it not about time to wake up from the longgggggg winter sleep, I keep asking myself time and time again. Maybe too often.

The problem come with the sollution, Namibians only want to have positive news and opinions. That I call living in a Utopia. We need to accept that also a lot of bad and negative aspects are happening.

If you and this forum would allow me to share my experience, we might have a beter nation building and true reconciliation.

Some one once mention this, and i quote: "The path to reconciliation begins with individual acts of confession. Paradoxically, the greatest wounds in human history, the greatest injustices, have not happened through the acts of some individual perpetrator; rather through the institutions, systems, philosophies, cultures, religions and governments of humankind. Because of this, we, as individuals, are tempted to absolve ( justify )ourselves of all individual responsibility. However, unless somebody chooses to identify themselves with corporate entities, such as the nation of our citizenship, or the subculture of our ancestors, the act of honest confession (penance) will never take place. This leaves us in a world of injury and offense in which no corporate sin is ever acknowledged, reconciliation never begins and old hatreds deepen."

Does this make sense?

Ar.

[Oneword]

Dear Ar. Maybe you should go back into hibernation......


To your question: NO!

Whatever you copied straight from the website of "the International reconciliation Coalition"does NOT make sense in this thread of the topic above. Maybe you should have added:" Bridging the Gap Between Peoples . . . Healing the Wounds of Society". Then, at least, one could have understood that you have a gap to bridge ....

[Ar.]

Originally Posted by Oneword

Dear Ar. Maybe you should go back into hibernation......


To your question: NO!

Whatever you copied straight from the website of "the International reconciliation Coalition"does NOT make sense in this thread of the topic above. Maybe you should have added:" Bridging the Gap Between Peoples . . . Healing the Wounds of Society". Then, at least, one could have understood that you have a gap to bridge ....

Dear Oneworld,

The topic or title is: " Why so much South Africa news?", okay?

You are so right Oneworld, I quote it, nothing wrong with that. What "free Namibians must accept, is freedom of speach, freedom of critisism ( both positive and negative ). Call a spade a spade.

Can you tell me why Namibians have rejected a reconciliation coalition? You know why? No one wants to admit the mistakes of the past, only if it is about the von Trotha's, then it is fine. When it's about empty promises by misleading political parties and lies, then no one must say anything in the name peace and exploitation.

What is so fearful, the past or the future of Namibia?

Can we start to heal the wounds and say where it hurts and when it hurts or shall we keep silence mentally, psycologically, deliberately to avoid interaction and clarifiation. It is time for self correctness. We in exile think through the mass communication media, change will come. Please stop trying to silence us. If not on home grounds, the we will use other arenas to stage our messages to give hope to the hopeless masses or hoi polloi.

[Oneword]

Still fail to see what it has to do with " Why so much South Africa news".

"We in exile" Nobody, and I repeat NOBODY, in Namibia can have any fair and valid reason for staying in exile ... unless, of course, it is self-imposed and illusionary.

PS "reconciliation coalition" = "reconciliation commission"

[Dude]

How does the saying go again? IS it: "When South Africa sneezes, Namibia gets pneumonia"? I think something like that. Our fate is lcosely linked to South Africa's and the countries in our region. Makes sense to keep on toop of regional news, don't you think? At least then we can take medication when South Africa sneezes and we don't get pneumonia!