ELDERLY TO SHARE E33 MILLION
MBABANE – They had to wait a while, but the elderly will finally be paid their grants. The good news came through yesterday after the Eswatini Post and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) posted the distribution dates on their Facebook page.
The elderly from the Hhohho Region are expected to start receiving their owed quartely grants of E1 200 from tomorrow until Monday February 4, 2019.
EPTC’s Corporate Affairs Manager Nqobile Magagula confirmed that the period that was being paid for was that of October to December 2018. The next batch that is supposed to be distributed by government is for the January to March 2019 period.
Late last year, the new government announced that there was no money to pay the elderly and, as a result, some of the aged had a bleak Christmas as their money was not paid out to them. It could not be established when the next payment would be made.
There is an estimated 80 000 elderly people who benefit from the grant, at least this was according to figures given by the former Deputy Prime Minister, Paul Dlamini, during the 2016/2017 financial year.
At that time, the annual budget stood at about E170.8 million.
Tomorrow
Based on the above figures, government will, from tomorrow, part with over E32 million while paying for the October- December 2018 trench. Gogo Lukhele from Mbabane East Constituency said she was happy that government would finally pay what was due to them on Thursday.
She said as a person who had to raise three of her grandchildren, the little that they would receive was welcomed.
“We can only hope that with the new government in place, the payment of our grants will be consistent,” she said.
Lukhele said if it were up to her, they would receive the money monthly instead of it being paid after three months.
“I am grateful, but the money could be distributed better,” she said.
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