EDITORIAL: Prioritising youth not a betrayal of the elderly
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s refusal to instantly hike the old-age pension to N$3 000 may not be the most popular decision, but it is a wise and principled one. Her decision to prioritise young people at this juncture is not just commendable, it is critical.
For years, Namibia has wrestled with the delicate act of resource allocation. We have built a system that over-supports our elderly while underinvesting in the very generation meant to sustain the future.
Yes, we must care for our senior citizens, but at what cost?
Thousands of university graduates are jobless, helpless, and hopeless – watching opportunities pass them by, even after doing everything right. Meanwhile, the burden of supporting these young people has shifted to their grandparents, whose modest pension grants are now being stretched to keep entire households afloat.
This reversal of roles, where the elderly provide for the young instead of being cared for by them, is a direct result of a lopsided approach to social welfare. The system was never designed to make pensioners breadwinners.
If the youth were empowered with jobs, income and a purpose, pensioners could finally enjoy the dignity and independence they deserve. They wouldn’t have to split their grant money across three generations.
Nandi-Ndaitwah is not turning her back on the elderly. On the contrary, she’s acknowledging that true social protection means ensuring everyone has a stake – and a role – in the Namibian House. Her pragmatism should be recognised for what it is: an attempt to break the cycle of generational dependency and chart a future where everyone carries their weight with pride.
When youth are employed and pensioners are unburdened, the whole country wins.
That is not neglect. That is nation-building.
For years, Namibia has wrestled with the delicate act of resource allocation. We have built a system that over-supports our elderly while underinvesting in the very generation meant to sustain the future.
Yes, we must care for our senior citizens, but at what cost?
Thousands of university graduates are jobless, helpless, and hopeless – watching opportunities pass them by, even after doing everything right. Meanwhile, the burden of supporting these young people has shifted to their grandparents, whose modest pension grants are now being stretched to keep entire households afloat.
This reversal of roles, where the elderly provide for the young instead of being cared for by them, is a direct result of a lopsided approach to social welfare. The system was never designed to make pensioners breadwinners.
If the youth were empowered with jobs, income and a purpose, pensioners could finally enjoy the dignity and independence they deserve. They wouldn’t have to split their grant money across three generations.
Nandi-Ndaitwah is not turning her back on the elderly. On the contrary, she’s acknowledging that true social protection means ensuring everyone has a stake – and a role – in the Namibian House. Her pragmatism should be recognised for what it is: an attempt to break the cycle of generational dependency and chart a future where everyone carries their weight with pride.
When youth are employed and pensioners are unburdened, the whole country wins.
That is not neglect. That is nation-building.
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Namibian Sun
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