Africa-Press – Namibia. The National Council Standing Committee on Health, Social Welfare and Labour Affairs has urged the government to synchronise all social grant payment systems.
This would eliminate oversubscription and enhance the efficiency of Namibia’s social protection mechanisms.
The recommendation is contained in a report on the Basic Income Grant (BIG) motion consultations, tabled in the National Council last week. It follows community engagements with residents of Omitara settlement on the outskirts of Windhoek and other stakeholders on 5 August 2024 and 9 May 2025.
Committee chairperson Emma Muteka, who presented the report, stressed the need for a co-ordinated approach.
“We are recommending that government establishes a one-stop agency responsible for the administration, management and payment of all social grants. This will reduce fragmentation and ensure better delivery of services to the most vulnerable,” she emphasised.
The committee also urged the government to explore alternative revenue streams to strengthen the social safety net and introduce sustainable support mechanisms for vulnerable individuals aged 18 to 59, who currently fall outside the scope of existing social protection.
Muteka revealed that during its oversight visit to Otjivero-Omitara, the committee conducted door-to-door interviews with beneficiaries of the BIG pilot project. This individualised approach, as Muteka said, “allowed people to speak freely and honestly about their experiences without the influence of group dynamics.”
Among the findings, Muteka says before the introduction of the BIG, residents mostly relied on old-age pensions and child grants. The community faced high levels of unemployment, food insecurity and poverty. Many residents are former farmworkers who had been dismissed or abandoned by their employers.
“The grant helped us survive. Before, we had nothing. But with that N$100, I could buy food for my children and send them to school,” said one resident.
The community also took steps to ensure the grant was used wisely. “We formed a local committee to guide people on how to spend the money properly,” said another resident. “We did not want people wasting it on alcohol.”
The BIG, which provided N$100 per person per month, was distributed to all registered residents regardless of other grants such as pensions or disability support. Though it attracted some in-migration, only individuals registered before July 2007 were eligible.
According to the committee’s findings, the grant significantly reduced poverty and hunger in the community. It enabled residents to start small businesses, improve school attendance and build sturdier homes. “Families moved from plastic shelters to houses made of corrugated iron sheets,” Muteka noted. “The positive impact on living standards was undeniable.”
However, the end of the programme saw the return of hardship. “After the BIG stopped, we went back to suffering,” a local youth shared. “There’s no money for school uniforms, and some of us are now hunting (illegally) or stealing just to eat.”
Lessons for policy
The committee observed that the BIG not only improved individual lives but also stimulated local economic activity. Even pensioners and people with disabilities who are already receiving State support benefitted from the extra income.
The report acknowledged the transition from the Food Bank programme to the Conditional Basic Income Grant (CBIG), which now provides monthly cash transfers to poor urban households. However, it pointed out that many unemployed adults aged 18 to 59 are still excluded from any form of State assistance.
“Unlike South Africa and Botswana, Namibia’s social protection system does not provide comprehensive coverage across all age groups,” said Muteka. “South Africa, for instance, has a dedicated agency (SASSA) that oversees all social welfare payments efficiently,” she revealed.
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