Niël Terblanché
Dr George Simataa, the Secretary to the Cabinet, has clarified the qualifying criteria for receiving drought relief, highlighting the need for improved communication from public servants to ensure those in need benefit from government initiatives.
Speaking at the Public Sector Information Sharing Session in Opuwolast week, Simataa stated that households with a combined income of N$3 200 per month or less are eligible for drought relief assistance.
Simataa pointed out a substantial lack of information dissemination regarding the Drought Relief Programme, which has led to many rural communities not benefiting from the programme despite being eligible.
He attributed this issue to the inadequate communication methods employed by public servants.
“Our communication method to the citizens was inadequate then and still, it remains the same. We need to significantly improve our public communication provided as public servants,” Simataa said.
He urged public servants to prioritise enhancing communication with the public to ensure that those in need of government services are well-informed.
Simataa said that the lack of effective communication has resulted in a low uptake of government services, which negatively impacts the livelihoods of citizens and leads to a waste of government resources.
“In many cases, information about government initiatives that affect the livelihood of citizens is not communicated effectively to those in need of the services, thus resulting in lesser interest and utilisation of public services. This approach also results in a waste of government resources because services will remain as a white elephant,” he explained.
To illustrate the impact of this issue, Simataa referenced the 2019/2020 drought relief programme, which had a budget of N$292 million for livestock support, lease of grazing, transport of animals, free lick, and free fodder, including the sales of livestock.
However, only N$66 million, or about 20%, of the allocated budget was spent due to inadequate public awareness.
A similar challenge was observed in the 2023/2024 drought relief programme. Simataa revealed that while the budget provision for the programme was N$38 million, only N$28.7 million in claims had been received as of 12 June 2024, and N$19.8 million had been paid out.
Simataa stated that there is a critical need for better communication strategies to ensure that essential government programmes reach and benefit the intended recipients, particularly in rural communities affected by drought.
