Windhoek
Deputy Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare Lucia Witbooi encouraged desperate mothers to desist from the practice of sleeping out in the cold at constituency offices in order to register their children for social grants.
Over 200 mothers this week spent a night at Samora Machel Constituency Office so as to be first in the queue to register their children for social grants the following day.
Witbooi also discouraged the parents from bringing their schoolgoing children along to the registration point, as the children will miss out on classes. She said the registration will run until the end of August and those involved in the registration will see if there is a need to extend the registration period.
Witbooi further urged neighbours and community members to report incidences were parents misuse social grants meant to benefit vulnerable children.
“If you come across such incidences, you have the right to report that person. We might redirect the grant to another person,” said Witbooi when she visited women camping at Samora Machel Constituency Office to register their children for social grants. Recipients receive N$250 monthly.
Witbooi said the ministry aims to register 125 000 vulnerable children countrywide under their special programme currently underway. The deputy minister also advised parents to cooperate by providing all relevant details. She told the mothers to bring along their identity document (ID), full birth certificate of the child, police declaration that indicates the vital information and the school progress report of the child.
“We want you to be honest in your declaration. I already picked up on information during the regional visits that some people make false statements and that must stop,” said Witbooi, adding that the police declaration should indicate where the father is and the parents’ employment status.
Some women who turned up to register claimed that officials turned them away because their voters’ cards indicate they are resident in another constituency.
A resident of Goreangab explained that she is based in Windhoek but was in the northern part of the country during the past election registration. “When I came here I was told to go to register at Oniipa in the north where I registered for the election, but my house is in Windhoek and my children are here,” she lamented.
An official said they are working strictly per constituency according to their instructions.