BY MBONO MDLULI
LOBAMBA – Elderly people in the country may receive an increase of no less than E100 in their grants in the year 2027/28, according to Lobamba Lomdzala Member of Parliament Marwick Khumalo.
Khumalo revealed this during debate in the House of Assembly on Thursday, March 5, 2026, while presenting and discussing the report of the Finance Committee, which he chairs.
He said the information came from Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg, who indicated that government would work towards ensuring that the increment takes effect next year.
The planned increase is expected to bring relief to elderly beneficiaries, particularly because no increment was implemented this year.
Although discussions mainly focus on elderly grants, people living with disabilities are also expected to benefit whenever adjustments to social grants are made.
Members of Parliament sought further clarity on the matter during the debate, with some asking whether the Finance Committee would meet again with the Minister of Finance to confirm the government’s position on the proposed increase.
In response, Khumalo invited MPs to return to Parliament at 10am, when the minister would appear before them to provide a firm response on whether the increment would be implemented in the 2026/27 financial year.
The discussion formed part of wider deliberations on the Finance Committee’s report as legislators scrutinised government spending priorities and the impact of financial decisions on vulnerable members of society.
If confirmed, the proposed increment is expected to provide much-needed support to elderly citizens who rely on government grants to meet their daily needs.
The MPs have made it clear that there is a need for the elderly and people with disabilities to have their grants increased this year. This was during the National Budget Speech debate which took place on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 in the House of Assembly.
The MPs felt they would not be doing justice if they did not ensure that the increments happened in 2026/27.
