Some beneficiaries of the Social Cash Transfer programme in Mambwe District in Eastern Province have appealed to government to release funds on time.

Chilongozi Community Welfare Assistant Committee (CWAC) Martha Zulu of Eledi village said she has a medical condition and relies on the money she gets from the SCT programme to buy home supplies.

Ms Zulu told ZANIS in an interview that she cannot not afford to live without soap on a daily basis due to her health condition.

“This condition has rendered me hopeless and the health personnel have failed to fix it. I rely on the funds that I get from the SCT programme to buy the basic requirements, so when payments delay, it becomes difficult for me,” she said.

Ms Zulu said the delay in the release and payment of funds had forced her to get into debt as she was unable to engage in any income generating ventures.

Another beneficiary 35 year old Josephine Mwanza who has an Autistic child also complained about the delay in the release of the funds.

Ms Mwanza said she ran a small business but due to the delay in receiving payments, her business had collapsed as she used up the capital to provide the basic necessities for her child with special needs.

Meanwhile, another beneficiary 62 year old Fanuel Njobvu appealed to the government to consider increasing the payment amounts especially that mealie prices keep escalating. 

Mr Njobvu said that mealie meal was being sold at K500 in his area and the K400 he was benefiting from the SCT Programme was below the purchase price for the commodity.