‘Either they did not get the message or are not alive,’ ministry says
Over 15 000 Namibian pensioners have had their old-age grants suspended after missing a mandatory government verification process, sparking humanitarian and ethical concerns.
This was revealed during the latest pension payout this week from which many were turned away.
Wilhelmina Marais (65) from Grünau in the ||Kharas region on Tuesday said she was told there was no money in her account.
She registered for an old-age pension in 2023.
“I did not receive my pension this morning. It was not paid into my NamPost account.
Why is that?
My husband has been unemployed for seven months now, and we live on that money,” she said.
Marais was not aware of the verification callout by the Ministry of Finance last October.
She said the NamPost office in her area, which distributes information, was not operational most of the time.
“Staff from other offices only go there to pay out grants, but it is closed to the public most of the time,” she said.
Similarly, several other pensioners were turned away at Groot Aub on Wednesday.
They say they had not been adequately informed and are now struggling to meet their basic needs.
Social activist Junia Kaindjee describes the situation as a “direct disruption of survival”.
He says the grants were suspended with no prior warning, and without a clear implementation plan, raising ethical and humanitarian concerns.
“Today, elderly citizens are left without food, without access to medication, and without basic dignity because of a decision executed without adequate notice or contingency planning,” he says.
Kaindjee demands the immediate reinstatement of May’s grant payments for all 15 825 affected beneficiaries, without conditions, a public statement within 24 hours providing a clear, binding timeline for verification completion and payment reinstatement, and a minimum 30-day written notice period for all beneficiaries prior to any future suspension of grants.
On Wednesday, in a joint notice between the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare and the finance ministry, the ministries confirmed that 15 825 grants were suspended, citing unverified names in the National Population Registry System.
“Affected beneficiaries are encouraged to visit the nearest regional gender ministry office or constituency office as soon as possible, and must take along their national identification document and birth certificate for their grant to be reinstated in the next payment cycle,” the statement says.
Gender ministry spokesperson Lukas Haufiku yesterday said the information was spread last October that all pensioners had to be verified.
He said pensioners are required to be verified twice a year, with a one-month grace period.
“Either they did not get the message or are not alive.
For those who cannot move, a relative can report it to the office, and the ministry can make amendments,” he said.
Haufiku said beneficiaries will receive a back payment to cover the period during which their grant was suspended.
He said the ministry is currently planning on incorporating their system with that of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security for improved reporting of deaths.
In the joint statement, the ministries say the verification process forms part of efforts to maintain the accuracy of the social grants beneficiary list and is in line with verification measures used in social protection schemes.
They say the verification exercise is a necessary step to protect the integrity of the social grants system, and to ensure public funds reach their intended recipients.
