N$3 000 to come later, NNN tells pensioners

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says the old-age pension grant will not be increased from N$1 600 to N$3 000 this year, as youth development is the present budgetary priority.

During a courtesy visit by newly elected International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry at State House on Saturday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the lion’s share of the budget is earmarked for youth-related infrastructure development.

In June last year, Nandi-Ndaitwah, then vice president and Swapo presidential candidate, promised to increase the monthly old-age pension grant from N$1 600 to N$3 000 if elected.

This came after statements by former president Hage Geingob in December 2023, expressing his hope that the pension grant would be increased to N$2 000 or N$3 000.

In January 2024, the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation reported that over 202 000 pensioners received the monthly grant.

“I have to kneel down to my parents, the pensioners, because I had to take a very difficult decision … my pensioners can you please understand and allow me to pay attention to infrastructure that are required to the development of our youth,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said on Saturday.

The president said empowering young Namibians would give them the capacity to take care of the country’s elders.

“I beg my parents, the pensioners to understand that this year around, I may not put anything on them. I will consider them next year,” she said.

The president emphasised that, as part of Swapo’s manifesto, sport has been highlighted as an essential component of social development and youth empowerment. Therefore, she has prioritised the development of sporting infrastructure in the country.

Currently, the old-age pension grant amounts to N$1 600, following an increase of N$200 in 2024.

POLITICAL GIMMICK

Political scientist Rui Tyitende said over the weekend that Nandi-Ndaitwah’s promise to increase the old-age pension was nothing but a political gimmick, adding that Swapo has mastered the art of language and promises directed towards an electorate desperate for improved living standards.

“However, the [elderly] should adjust back to reality now that the campaign is over. They should also understand that politics is, to a large extent, the art of lies, manipulation and deception,” he said.

Tyitende said this is not the first time a politician made promises and not delivered.

“It will definitely not be the last [time]. Perhaps they should wait for the 2029 elections if biology permits for their promises to be fulfilled,” he said.

• Additional reporting by Nampa