CHINSALI, May 9th 2026 – SMART Zambia Institute National Coordinator, Mr. Percy Chinyama, has issued a stern warning to unscrupulous beneficiaries who are double dipping on social protection programmes, describing the vice as retrogressive and criminal.
Speaking on Delight FM in Chinsali district, Mr. Chinyama revealed that the illegal practice, commonly known as ‘double tobela’, robs other deserving citizens of much-needed support.
He explained that double dipping involves individuals fraudulently registering for and drawing funds from two or more different social protection schemes simultaneously, often using loopholes in the identification or verification processes.
“You dubiously draw funds from two different social protection programmes while others haven’t got any, how fair are you?” he said.
He emphasized that such actions undermine the very purpose of social safety nets, which are designed to uplift the most vulnerable members of society.
To curb the malpractice, SMART Zambia deployed the Zambia Integrated Social Protection Information System (ZISPIS) and the Electronic Cash for Work systems. These digital platforms have enhanced transparency and accountability by cross-referencing beneficiary data, flagging duplicate registrations, and ensuring that each eligible individual receives support only once.
Mr. Chinyama has since appealed to citizens to report anyone found double dipping, urging communities to take collective responsibility.
“Let us all play fair and give a chance to every eligible beneficiary,” he said.
He warned that offenders risk prosecution, as double dipping constitutes theft of public funds and undermines national development efforts.
#SmartZambia
#StopDoubleTobela
#SocialProtection
#Transparency
#Chinsali