Namibia to resolve pension delays for 15,000 elderly beneficiaries by October

Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare Emma Kantema has announced that approximately 15,785 old-age pensioners affected by a beneficiary verification exercise are expected to receive their outstanding payments by the end of October.

The suspension of payments followed an audit that identified pensioners using outdated information or old South African identity documents. To remain on the system, beneficiaries were required to update their identification and provide proof of life.

Kantema reported that a portion of the affected individuals have already been reinstated. While one report indicates 10,066 beneficiaries have been returned to the system, another source notes 5,500 have been processed so far. To expedite the remaining backlog, the ministry plans to increase working hours, utilize overtime, and recruit interns and temporary staff to assist with data capturing.

A steering committee involving the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare and the Ministry of Finance has been established to oversee the process. Once cleared, payments will include an increased pension amount of N$1,700, up from the previous N$1,600.