By: Annakleta Haikera
Residents in the Kavango East and West regions have raised concerns over the locations of NamPost social grant payment points, stating that a number of them are too close to busy roads and pose safety risks.
Pensioners and other beneficiaries expressed fear that long queues and large crowds could lead to road accidents, especially for elderly and vulnerable citizens.
Speaking to The Villager Newspaper, pensioner John Mukoya described the situation as dangerous.
“With the long queues and the stress of standing the whole day, one cannot cross the road safely,” he said.
Mukoya also criticised the Rundu post office for being too small, lacking hygienic toilet facilities, and having a shortage of chairs for elderly people or persons living with disabilities.
He added that while disorder was observed earlier in the week, Thursday saw calmer scenes as many residents from surrounding villages had already been attended to.
Meanwhile, in Kavango West, pensioners at Choppies Mall in Nkurenkuru voiced frustration over poor service at the recently relocated payment venue.
The facility, which moved from the Nkurenkuru Business Park, has also been critiqued for its inadequate size to accommodate the growing number of beneficiaries, including those relocated from Epupa. Several pensioners were reportedly forced to sit on the floor while waiting to be assisted, raising concerns about insufficient seating and limited space.
Martha Kakuhu said the situation has made it difficult for elderly citizens to wait comfortably, especially for those with mobility challenges or health conditions.
Some beneficiaries also noted a lack of orderly queue management, describing the environment as chaotic and disorganised. To this, Muronga Hamutenya added, “We understand the payments are important, but the venue is too small, and the staff cannot attend to everyone efficiently. It is stressful for us, and many of us have to wait for hours just to collect our pension.”
Although the aim of moving from the Business Park was to provide a more central location, the current setup appears unable to handle the increasing number of beneficiaries. Community members have called on NamPost management and local authorities to prioritise the expansion of the facility, improve service delivery, and ensure that pensioners are treated with dignity.
In response, NamPost communications officer, Joseph Teofulus, encouraged patience from the community. He indicated that mobile teams are serving beneficiaries at their usual pay points and that technical glitches with new machines have largely been resolved.
With extra staff and additional post offices now operational, authorities said orderly queues would ensure all beneficiaries received their funds.
NamPost reported that more than 20% of eligible social cash grants were registered and paid within the first three days of the nationwide rollout from 13 to 15 October. The postal operator acknowledged initial challenges with mobile units and overcrowding at post offices, but reiterated that all mobile teams are now fully operational, having paid over 5,000 beneficiaries in Rundu alone.
In a media statement, NamPost assured that no beneficiary would be left unattended to during the ongoing payout process.
