Government has temporarily suspended 15,825 old age grant beneficiaries after their details could not be verified against the National Population Register, raising concerns about the integrity of Namibia’s social grant system.
The affected beneficiaries account for approximately 7.6% of the 209,226 people receiving old age grants across the country.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare and the Ministry of Finance said the suspensions form part of an ongoing verification exercise aimed at maintaining the accuracy of the national social grants database.
According to the ministries, the beneficiaries were suspended after their names could not be found in the National Population Register during routine verification checks.
Government said the verification process is a standard requirement within social protection systems and is intended to confirm that beneficiaries remain eligible to receive grant payments.
Affected pensioners have been urged to report to their nearest Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare regional or constituency office as soon as possible to verify their details and have their benefits reinstated.
Beneficiaries will be required to present supporting documents, including national identity documents and birth certificates, before their grants can be restored.
The ministries said beneficiaries who successfully complete the verification process will have their grants reinstated in the next payment cycle and will receive back payments covering the period during which their grants were suspended.
Government stressed that the exercise is not intended to deprive legitimate beneficiaries of social protection, but rather to safeguard public funds and ensure that grants reach their intended recipients.
“The verification exercise is a necessary step to protect the integrity of the social grants system, ensure that public funds reach their intended recipients, and give effect to the constitutional obligation of transparent and accountable governance,” the ministries said.
