Justicia Shipena
Residents of Otjivero–Omitara say their lives have worsened since the Basic Income Grant (BIG) pilot program ended.
They report increased hunger, crime, and school dropouts in the settlement.
These concerns appear in a new report by the National Council’s Standing Committee on Health, Social Welfare, and Labour Affairs.
The committee, chaired by Emma Muteka, held consultations with community members and other stakeholders.
They conducted door-to-door interviews to hear directly from beneficiaries and assess the long-term impact of the BIG pilot.
Before the BIG, the community relied mainly on old-age pensions and child grants.
The majority of the residents were unemployed former farmworkers, dismissed or abandoned by their previous employers.
During the BIG pilot, each registered resident received N\$100 per month, regardless of any other social grants they received.
“The grant was non-discriminatory, and every registered person benefited, irrespective of their social standing,” the report said.
The committee found that the grant helped families afford groceries and school supplies.
Some started backyard gardens and small businesses like bread baking, brick-making, and sewing.
Children who had dropped out returned to school. The crime rate dropped, especially stock theft on nearby farms.
“It is clear that the BIG improved the quality of life in Otjivero-Omitara. We were told that household poverty dropped significantly, economic activity increased, and children returned to school. Unfortunately, these gains have largely been reversed since the grant ended,” Muteka said.
Since the program ended, residents have said economic activity has collapsed, hunger and malnutrition have increased, and alcohol abuse has risen.
Petty crime has also gone up, and some young people hunt illegally on nearby farms and end up in prison.
“The people are suffering. There is no income, no development, and children are once again dropping out of school due to hunger and the inability to afford uniforms,” a community member told the committee.
The BIG pilot at Otjivero-Omitara started in 2008, and at the time, was the first of its kind in Namibia and Africa.
It targeted residents living in the area since July 2007. No new registrations were allowed after that date.
Elsewhere, 53,381 permanent beneficiaries currently receive the monthly State Disability Grant.
Another 6,124 individuals with temporary disabilities receive a monthly allowance of N\$1,600 under the same grant.
These grants are for Namibian citizens or permanent residents aged 16 to 59 who have been medically diagnosed by a state doctor as temporarily or permanently disabled.
The disability grant is one of several social assistance programs managed by the Integrated Social Assistance System (ISAS).
ISAS aims to support disadvantaged and vulnerable groups across Namibia.
Other grants include the Old Age Grant for people aged 60 and above, the Vulnerable Children’s Grant, the Child Disability Grant, and the newly introduced Conditional Basic Income Grant.
The latter targets urban poor and former food bank recipients.
The committee noted that the Ministry of Finance has prioritised expanding the Conditional Basic Income Grant this financial year in regions such as Kavango East, Kavango West, and Kunene.
