The majority of the San elderly people at Olukula village in Okongo constituency in Ohangwena region are deprived of the grant privilege because they do not have national documents such as IDs.

The majority of the San seen by New Era at that village last week are mired in poverty and they accuse their representative from government for not paying attention to their plight and urgent needs.  Philips Kaunongwa, sympathising with the San people, explained some elderly people need to be registered and they do not have the means to go to the Ministry of Home Affairs for the issuing of the identification documents.
“The representative and the development planner from the office of the vice president, most of the time, only drops food and leaves. He does not sit and listen to people’s needs. This can be one of the contributing factors as to why people still languish in poverty,” said San community leader at Ekoka village in Okongo constituency Festus Nakale.

Puleinge Thomas, the coordinator of the marginalised groups in Ohangwena region, was busy when he was contacted for comment. Nakale suggested government should at least make effort to provide them with a coordinator who is versed Khoekhoegowab to eliminate language barriers. “Only a few people have national documents here. Most of them do not have documents and they are not benefitting from the government grants. Our people here did not benefit from emergency income grant (EIG) that was provided by government because they do not have documents,” he explained.

However, Nakale said few San at Ekoka with adequate access to land are in a considerably better position than those who do not because they have a suitable foundation from which to address complex developmental problems.  
–ljason@nepc.com.na