Interview: Musutua Slams Netumbo Administration Over Broken Grant Promises

Social justice activist Rinaani Musutua has criticised the Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah administration for failing to honour its campaign pledge to expand social grants, saying the government’s lack of action on poverty alleviation amounts to “lip service.”

In a strongly worded statement, Musutua said that if the new administration were serious about tackling hunger and poverty, the first action would have been to fulfil its manifesto promise of expanding social grants. “They haven’t done that. Nothing has been spoken about. So this is just more lip service that we are getting from politicians,” she said.

Musutua noted that as Namibia approaches regional and local elections, political rhetoric around poverty and hunger is intensifying—but lacks substance. “Obviously, there will be such promises made. But if they really meant it, they would have started by increasing or expanding the conditional basic income grant they referred to.”

The activist, a long-time advocate for a Universal Basic Income Grant (UBIG), insists that a national approach to fighting poverty must begin with expanding social protection. “They should have expanded on that and made it universal to make sure that we tackle hunger that way,” she said.

Musutua warned that without decisive intervention, many Namibians will continue to live in “a world hunger hotspot,” with no immediate relief in sight. “If nothing in that area is done, then there will be absolutely no immediate relief for the many struggling Namibians,” she stressed.

Her comments come amid growing calls from civil society for the government to prioritise food security and income support mechanisms for low-income households. While the administration has touted economic reforms and investment strategies, Musutua says these approaches ignore the urgency of the humanitarian crisis facing ordinary citizens.

“This is not about politics. It’s about survival,” Musutua concluded.