Civil servants on maternity leave will now receive their full salaries.

Making the announcement, Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says the N$15,000 benefit currently provided by the Social Security Commission (SSC) has been found wanting, especially for civil servants who earn more than what is provided.

In the event that the mother dies, the father of the child will be given paternity leave and receive the benefit. In the absence of both parents, the primary carer will then receive the benefit. All these are on the condition that they are civil servants.

Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) MP Winnie Moongo has tabled a motion that seeks to extend maternity leave and introduces the concept of paternity leave in a bid to strengthen family bonds and support newborns' health.

Moongo cited the critical role that mothers play in society, describing them as the strongest pillars holding communities together.

She underscored the vulnerability mothers face when their needs are neglected and called for universal maternity protection for social justice, inclusive growth, and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.