By George Bulombola

Mzuzu, May 18, Mana: Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Jean Sendeza has expressed concern over some irregularities which affect identification process of beneficiaries of safety net programmes.

She was speaking Saturday at Kawuwa Primary School in Mzuzu City when she interfaced with some beneficiaries of Shock Emergency Cash Transfer Programme.

Sendeza said that it was shocking to receive reports that beneficiary identification procedures were marred with a lot of irregularities, leading to missing out of eligible individuals who were supposed to benefit from the initiative.

“For instance, I received a complaint that one of the eligible individuals with disability, Grace Mhango, from Luwinga in Mzuzu was missed from the beneficiary list. This is one of the indications that the process was not conducted in a just manner,” the Minister explained.

She said government initiated the programme to reduce the impact of economic shocks on the elderly, people with disabilities, female and orphan headed households among other vulnerable individuals.

“Government noted that city residents are equally in need of such safety net interventions as those living in rural areas.

“The country’s economic status was affected by several factors which include, natural disasters such Cyclone Freddy, El-Nino, Covid -19 and peace instability in some countries. These have affected both city residents and rural masses, hence the intervention,” Sendeza said.

The Minister appealed local authorities to ensure that lower structures which facilitate beneficiary identification of various interventions are of high integrity to avoid same beneficiaries from benefiting from various safety net programs.

“No individual should benefit from both Agricultural Input Programme, free food distribution and Social Cash Transfer Programme among others,” she advised.

Director of Health and Social Services (DHSS) or Mzuzu City Council, Dr. Lilian Chirwa said the council delayed in implementing the programme due to coordination issues amongst various structures and players who are involved in the programme.

“We received several complaints from eligible beneficiaries but left out by the structures which were mandated to carry out the identification process, as such we appeal to government to consider extending the support to such people,” she said.

One of the beneficiaries, Pauline Gondwe of Masasa, thanked government for the programme through which each beneficiary is given K150,000.00 saying she would use part of the money to pay schools fees for her child and invest the remaining amount into village saving and loan group of her area.

“I have today with my naked eyes seen God walking through this programme. I do not know how I can thank the government for this,” she said.

Another beneficiary, Nkhambule Kamanga from Masasa, said she would contribute some of the money to 30-member Community Savings and Investment Promotion group which interns to embark on piggery business.

The initiative has distributed K1.8 Billion to 12,000 beneficiaries in Mzuzu City.