Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Social grant queues compound social distancing

Home Front Page News Social grant queues compound social distancing

Chaos nearly erupted yesterday, as social distancing measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 for hundreds of the elderly and vulnerable individuals in zigzag queues for social grants at Moses Garoeb constituency councillor offices in Havana proved tricky.

When New Era arrived at the offices around 09h00 yesterday, there were long queues comprising of the senior citizens and the young individuals who are either beneficiaries or have come to receive grants on behalf of their children.

However, with all the squeezing and pushing to get the first spot, the social distancing of at least one metre between one another to avoid the spread of Coronavirus was not observed.Some pensioners complained they started queuing up from as early as 02h00 am.

Epupa Investment Security teams mandated to ensure social grant payments are given to those in need, with the help of the Namibian police to ensure security and peace.

The security officials tried to explain to the beneficiaries that the young people should allow the elderly, the pregnant women and those living with disabilities to be assisted first, but this did not go down well with them.

Some of the aggrieved younger people started jumping the queue at the expense of the seniour citizens.

Around 10h00, Epupa security teams and the Namibian police managed to bring order and social distancing was also adhered to.  With the assistance of the security guards and the police, elderly people, who are more susceptible to the virus, formed a separate queue from the one by young women and men, who were there to receive grants for their children. “We woke up as early as 01h00 to be first in the queues. But now the officers and security guards are only allowing the elderly people to get help and not us the younger ones,” bemoaned a young mother who refused to be mentioned. At the entrance of the constituency office, there were security guards and police officers armed with sanitisers to make sure that those who came through had their hands sanitised.

Epupa security manager Ngurimuje Tjirimuje said they tried their best to maintain law and order with the assistance of the Namibian police in terms of social distancing.

“We don’t want people to go home without money. We tried to educate them on social distancing. We have a lot of paying machines and teams in different areas to avoid having a lot of people being crowded in one place,” Tjirimuje explained. 

He said they opened doors to the elderly and those who came to collect money for vulnerable children around 08h00 and will close with payments around 17h00.

He was hopeful they would finish with all payments to the needy people.