06 Aug 2026

The commencement of the implementation of the Child Support Grant (CSG) on Monday has seen local authorities across the country begin disbursing funds to beneficiaries of the P300 monthly grant for children under one year.

The official rollout of the payments drew scores of parents to post offices to access the newly implemented monthly relief allowance, which, according to a press release from the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, has been backdated to its effective start date of April 1.

Principal social welfare officer at Tsabong District Council, Ms Masego Kgomotso confirmed that disbursements had begun on Monday and that overall operations were proceeding smoothly.

Assessment criteria stipulates that parents earning a monthly income of P4,000 or below qualify for the assistance, and Ms Kgomotso noted that out of 162 mothers registered by the Tsabong District Council during the initial phase, 103 were successfully captured for the current disbursement cycle. 

She said the remaining 59 registered beneficiaries were scheduled to receive their payments in the upcoming September batch.

The official said in order to maximise the long-term impact of the financial assistance, Tsabong District Council has provided financial literacy training to the recipients of the grant to guide them on responsible budgeting and prioritising the direct needs of their infants.

She added that to ensure full coverage across the district, the council was collaborating closely with the leadership of all villages, including Village Development Committees, councillors and dikgosi to conduct community outreach and locate eligible mothers who lack direct access to district offices.

Despite the successful initial payout, social workers were facing operational bottlenecks during the application verification process, with Ms Kgomotso highlighting that a primary challenge involved non-cooperative fathers. 

In cases where a father’s name appears on the child’s birth certificate, standard processing requires an affidavit alongside proof of the father’s monthly income. 

The officer said refusals by fathers to provide the required documents had led to significant processing delays. 

Ms Kgomotso appealed to both parents to prioritise the welfare of their infants over personal disputes, emphasising that interpersonal conflicts should not compromise a child’s access to vital social protection. 

She further urged beneficiaries to use the P300 payout strictly for its intended purpose: securing proper nutrition and medical care for their children.

In Francistown, principal social welfare officer at the Francistown City Council Mr Tengesani Baliki said 683 people in Francistown had applied for the grant. 

He said after screening, 166 beneficiaries were recommended and have started receiving their arrears for April to July through various post offices around the city. 

He said a further 116 were recommended but were yet to be paid, while 134 were not recommended.

Assessment of the remaining 267 applications was deferred because they did not contain all the required documents.

Mr Baliki similarly urged recipients to use the money for its intended purpose. 

“The grant is for the welfare of the children. Those found not using it for the child will be charged with child neglect in terms of the Children’s Act,” he warned.

He added that the council would continue to communicate with outstanding beneficiaries through platforms such as council’s Facebook page. He also encouraged mothers with new babies to come forward and register, noting that registration for the grant remained open.

Charleshill District Council has also started disbursing the CSG allowance.

The council’s principal social welfare officer I, Ms Kaveyaruka Njuva revealed that of the 173 eligible beneficiaries, 164 had received their allowances.

She said some of the remaining nine beneficiaries were yet to be assisted as they had provided incomplete documentation.

Ms Njuva decried the vastness of their area of jurisdiction, saying some beneficiaries were unreachable as they resided in farms and ranches with no network coverage hence their failure to collect their dues.

She implored the beneficiaries to ensure prudent management of the grants to cushion themselves against the hardships they might encounter during their confinement and nursing periods. 

Meanwhile, in Ghanzi district, principal social welfare officer II Mr Stephen Monare said they had registered 127 eligible beneficiaries of whom 114 had accessed their grants while the remaining 13 would collect theirs next month.

Mr Monare said they experienced delayed submissions of required documents from some of the beneficiaries as he said most of them lacked proper documentation.

He said the Ghanzi District Council was working with the Department of Civil and National Registration to fast-track the documentation processes of such beneficiaries.

In the Kanye District, only a fraction of applicants screened have so far been approved.

Mr Emmanuel Kganetso, Kanye District Council’s deputy council secretary-Operations, said of the 142 prospective beneficiaries submitted to the ministry, 45 had been approved while 97 were still being assessed.

Mr Kganetso however noted that the ministry had not yet provided the district with all the vital information needed to fully commission the programme, but that once the information was received, commissioning would commence.

The CSG was designed as a targeted social protection intervention aimed at supporting the welfare of children aged 12 months and below and easing the burden on caregivers. 

The initiative aims to support low-income households in meeting critical early childhood nutrition, health, and developmental needs during a vital phase of physical and cognitive growth. ENDS