At least 15 825 old-age grant beneficiaries have been suspended after their details could not be verified in the National Population Registry System.
The suspension follows an eight-month verification exercise conducted by the Ministry of Finance and later taken over by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the integrity of Namibia's social grants system. The ministry stated that the affected beneficiaries form part of the country's 209 226 old-age grant recipients.
Gender equality's spokesperson Lukas Haukifu said the verification exercise targeted a selected group of beneficiaries whose records required confirmation and was not intended for all grant recipients.
Haufiku told New Era that nearly 30 000 beneficiaries were identified for verification when the exercise began in October 2025. However, only about half responded to the call to verify their details, leaving 15 825 individuals unaccounted for in the national population database.
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"Only around half of those identified for verification came forward. The remaining beneficiaries could not be traced on the National Population Registry System, resulting in the temporary suspension of their grants," Haufiku said.
The Khomas region recorded the highest number of unverified beneficiaries, accounting for 10 156 of the suspended cases. According to Haufiku, authorities are unable to determine the status of some of the beneficiaries because their information cannot be verified in the registry.
"We do not know whether some of these individuals are still alive or whether they have passed away. The verification process is intended to establish that beneficiaries are alive and eligible to receive social grants," he said. Haufiku added that the ministry has previously encountered cases where family members failed to report the deaths of beneficiaries and continued collecting grant payments on their behalf.
To curb such practices, the government has strengthened cooperation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security to cross-check beneficiary records against information in the National Population Registry System.
Haufiku said once a death certificate is issued and captured in the system, relevant information can be shared to prevent grants from being paid to deceased persons. The ministries stressed in a press release that the verification exercise is a standard administrative measure aimed at protecting public funds and ensuring that social assistance reaches the intended recipients.
"The social grant system follows a similar approach to other social protection schemes, requiring continuous life verification of beneficiaries," the statement noted.
Haufiku said throughout the eight-month verification period, the government undertook a series of awareness campaigns to encourage affected beneficiaries to verify their records. Information was disseminated through various radio stations and community outreach initiatives. Despite these efforts, thousands of beneficiaries failed to respond. The government has now intensified its awareness campaign by engaging local councillors and using indigenous-language radio broadcasts to reach communities across the country.
In addition, ministry officials are tracing beneficiaries who may be hospitalised or unable to visit government offices due to illness, disability or other health-related challenges. Haufiku said the ministry wants to ensure that all legitimate beneficiaries are given a fair opportunity to regularise their records and continue receiving assistance.
Affected beneficiaries have been urged to report to their nearest Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare regional or constituency office as soon as possible. They will be required to present identification documents such as national identity cards, birth certificates or other supporting documents needed to confirm their identity. The ministry has assured beneficiaries that verification remains open and that grants will be reinstated once the required information has been provided and confirmed. Importantly, beneficiaries who complete the verification process will not lose any money owed to them. The government confirmed that all suspended beneficiaries who successfully verify their identities will receive back pay covering the entire period during which their grants were withheld.
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"If a beneficiary verifies after three months, they will receive all three months' worth of grant payments once their grant is reinstated," Haufiku explained.
However, grant payments will remain suspended until verification has been completed. The ministries emphasised that the measure is not intended to deprive vulnerable citizens of social protection but rather to ensure accountability, transparency and proper management of public resources.
