With the government planning to eventually raise the old-age allowance to P1800 per month, the President has asserted that age and citizenship should be the only prerequisites for eligibility
BONGANI MALUNGA
President Duma Boko has asserted that he is against any idea of vetting old-age pension recipients following reports that people in white-collar careers may be deemed ineligible for the old-age allowance.
In the President’s view, every citizen should be eligible for old-age pension regardless of whether or not they benefit from post-retirement pension privileges.
Boko’s remarks are in sharp contrast to a statement made by the Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Ketlhalefile Motshegwa, in February that cast doubt on continued eligibility of people in white-collar careers for old-age pension in the future.
High-level discussions
The President acknowledged that it is normal for leaders to have and espouse different ideas, he declared himself as one opposed to disqualifying anyone from due old-age pension.
Speaking at the launch of an ecosystem-based adaptation and mitigation project in Tsabong on Monday this week, President Boko stated that the national service of some pensioners should not be overlooked based on their current economic status.
However, he said he believes that more high-level discussions will be held on the issue because the government intends to increase the old-age pension from P1400 to P1800 in the long run.
“Some have suggested that there should be a vetting process to determine who qualifies for the forthcoming P1800 old-age pension,” Boko noted. “I am against such a move. “Every citizen who is eligible for the P1800 pension should be given their due privileges.
Every citizen
“Some may disagree with that. We are open to an engagement to understand their reasoning. Every citizen who served their country should enjoy the national benefits designed for them.”
The President stated that seeing the jubilation on people’s faces upon receiving the improved P1400 old-age allowance proved that citizens were overwhelmed due to their paltry benefits in the past.
“Some leaders believe that poverty cannot be wholly eradicated,” he said. “I am not one of those leaders. I believe that poverty can be completely eliminated through actionable solutions, not just pledges.”