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Government has expressed concern over reports that Social Cash Transfer (SCT) funds are contributing to marital breakdowns in parts of Northern Province.
Northern Province Permanent Secretary, Bernard Mpundu, emphasized that the programme was introduced to alleviate hunger and reduce poverty — not to cause instability in households.
Speaking during a meeting with SCT beneficiaries in Kaputa, Nsama, Mporokoso, and Lunte districts on Thursday, Mpundu urged recipients to use the support responsibly.
In a statement issued in Kasama by Provincial Principal Public Relations Officer Sandra Mulenga, it was revealed that over 140,000 people in Northern Province have benefited from the programme since its inception.
“The purpose of these social protection interventions is to strengthen households, not to break marriages. We have seen people who were living in abject poverty now able to afford three meals a day. This shows that the programme is making a real difference,” Mpundu said.
He warned against misuse of the funds and encouraged beneficiaries to work towards self-sufficiency for long-term stability.
Mpundu also clarified that the conclusion of the emergency component of the SCT — introduced in response to the ongoing drought — did not mark the end of the programme.
He assured communities that regular support to vulnerable households would continue.
Beneficiaries of the programme thanked the government for the support, noting that the funds had helped them engage in income-generating activities such as farming, thereby improving their livelihoods.
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