MASERU – The Minister of Gender, Youth and Social Development, Mr. Pitso Lesaoana, on Wednesday highlighted the Old Age Pension (OAP) proof of life process, aimed at ensuring that eligible elderly beneficiaries remain registered and continue receiving their payments without interruption.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Lesaoana said the outreach was part of the Ministry’s responsibility to administer the Old Age Pension.
He explained that the Ministry conducted a pilot study from August to October 2025 in Maseru District and parts of Berea District, including Mokhethoaneng and Majara.
The Minister noted that the Ministry had previously issued an official directive requiring all elderly citizens aged 70 years and above to undergo registration through a headcount exercise. He said the main objective of the exercise was to verify that pension payments are being made to the rightful beneficiaries.
“This process allows us to confirm that we are paying people who are alive, to verify the actual number of beneficiaries, and to ensure that government funds are being used correctly,” He said.
He further revealed that during the pilot study, the Ministry identified several challenges.
Among these were cases where some elderly individuals who were still alive had been mistakenly excluded from the pension system. As a result, the Ministry returned to the affected areas to conduct further research and rectification. . .
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