It has emerged that some San people in the Aminuis constituency are misusing their children’s monthly social grants given by the government as safety nets in eradicating extreme poverty and reducing inequality.
Government gives a social grant of N$250 every month to vulnerable and orphaned children.
However, local councillor Peter Kazongominja confirmed that some San parents in the Corridors of Aminuis are misusing such grants for their own benefits – disadvantaging the intended beneficiaries.
“We have a big challenge among the San people. The children do not attend school as they often drop out due to lack of school learning materials,” he said.
He attributed the crisis of children not attending school to their parents failing to send them to school.
Kazongominja said the parents abuse alcohol with the children’s monthly N$250 social grants instead of catering for their school needs.
“When the parents get these grants, instead of supporting the kids, they use it for themselves. The kids don’t have the necessary school materials. The schools are asking for toiletries and books, but parents do not provide them. They use the money to buy alcohol. When they come to our offices, we ask them if the kids are getting grants or not. But they say they get, but claim the money is too little, while the person is drunk,” he said.
He suggested that, as stakeholders, there is a need to sit around the table and find a solution to the misuse of social grants by parents instead of their benefiting needy children.
Kazongominja, however, clarified that alcohol abuse is not only rife among the marginalised communities, but the whole constituency is affected, especially young people.
“Alcohol abuse among the San people and other inhabitants in the constituency is at an alarming stage. Last week, the police held a meeting with the business people on alcohol abuse, the operating hours of shebeens and the high rate of crime in the area. Crime has become a serious concern in our constituency,” the councillor lamented.
He raised concern that a lack of transport among the police in the constituency is a major issue as well, as the officers are unable to attend to criminal activities promptly.
Further, he revealed, stock theft is also a major concern in the area.
He said residents, especially the youth, are stealing livestock and selling the meat to street vendors.
Kazongominja charged that there are also corrupt police officers at the roadblocks working together with criminals to allow stolen products to pass through checkpoints.
Due to the high crime rate, he said, the Omaheke police regional commander Andreas Haingura, together with traditional authority leaders, will be in the area to address burning issues relating to stock theft and alcohol abuse.