By:Daniel Ndumba
Children’s monthly social grant might be ceased if there is proof of misuse, Deputy Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, Bernadette Jagger has said.
Social grants have gradually reached more children, yet the state budget allocation to child grants has not grown significantly over the past few years, according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
A 2017 UNICEF report indicates that 23% of children in Namibia receive a social grant.
“If any parent makes him or herself guilty of misusing any grants from government, those grants might be stopped if there is proof that you have misused it,” Jagger warned.
She cautioned parents from misusing the social grants which are intended for children’s’ welfare.
“When children are entitled to certain benefits, they must benefit and not be barred from benefiting from those grants,” she said.
She stressed funds must be used for the intended purposes, and not for those responsible for managing the grants such as the parents or guardians.
“We hear stories that parents are using the money for other things and the child does not benefit a single cent from the grant,” she said.
Jagger added, it will not be nice for the government to stop grants for people who are supposed to benefit from those grants, but if there is proof that the grants are misused then the government will be left with no other choice but to stop the grants for those found guilty.
Meanwhile, human right activist Linda Baumann, through an interview with The Villager, said stopping the misuse of social grants has been something that has been happening for years.
She said it is therefore vital that a warning is put out as soon as possible.
“We heard this years ago and these are realities that are being experienced,” she said.
Baumann added that the social welfare ministry has put in measures to double check as to which parents or guardians are suitable for receiving the grants.
“I also do believe that as community or family members, we need to know how to protect and ensure that the child’s money is used for all the expenses meant for,” she said.
She further said that although the money is not enough, the point still remains that the money should be used to meet the needs of the children.
“Those helpers misusing the money should be exposed by us as neighbours and family members,” Baumann urged.
Baumann further said the ministry should continue with the awareness campaign, urging the line ministry to elevate access to reporting lines so that people are able to blow the whistle on those believed to be misusing the grants.
In February, Finance and Public Enterprise Minister Ipumbu Shiimi announced an increase in social grants to cushion vulnerable members of society against the rising cost of food prices during the tabling of the 2023/24 budget.
Shiimi increased monthly grants for the old age grant, disability grant, and orphan and vulnerable children grant by N$100 per month.
The disability grant for claimants under the age of 18 has been increased from N$250 to N$1,400 per month, which came into effect this month.
The budget has allocated N$69.8 million to broaden the coverage of the orphan and vulnerable children grant to include approximately 30,000 eligible children who are currently on the waiting list.
Community ac Julius Natangwe questioned as to what happens to the children should the grants be stopped.
He argued that people are forced to misuse these grants because of the conditions they live in and that the definition of “misuse” should be looked at.
“You stop the grant and help those kids how? Kids and their families in general are suffering on the ground. Sometimes people are forced to misuse and I am not of the view that the money must be used for alcohol. If the ministry has stopped that grant, the child will still continue to suffer,” he said.
Natangwe said government should come up with a formula of not giving the money directly to those believed to be using the money wrongly.