MEDIA STATEMENT: ELDERLY RESIDENTS IN OR TAMBO DISTRICT CALL FOR PRIVACY IN COURTS WHEN THEY APPEAR FOR RAPE CASES

The elderly people of the O.R Tambo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape called for privacy when they appear in court and are required to provide a full account of what happened when they were raped. They are uncomfortable presenting the details of rape in the manner that the courts require, they said, as these details are very difficult for them to express in public.

They told the committee that as they grow older they are unable to recall everything, especially traumatic details of their rape. This compromises their evidence and their cases are dismissed on the grounds of insufficient evidence. They proposed special courts be made available for these cases or to testify in camera. They also proposed that cases involving elderly people should not be prolonged; they should be completed within six months at least.

The elderly were speaking during public hearings conducted by the Portfolio Committee on Social Development on the Older Persons Amendment Bill in Lusikisiki at Bonginkosi Enoch Nongoma Community Hall yesterday.

In supporting the Bill, the elderly people thanked Parliament for noting the terrible conditions under which they live in Lusikisiki, a town that exemplifies all the challenges identified in the Bill and which it aims to end. Another challenge they spoke about are the accusations of witchcraft that are made against elderly women.

The elderly people also called for improvements to be made to service centres and asked for nutritious food to be provided in the centres. Echoing sentiments expressed in other hearings on the Bill, residents also called for two permanently employed caregivers per service centre. They also pointed out that the partner of a government employee does not get an old age pension, something they described as unfair and a denial of a constitutional right to the partner.

The Older Persons Amendment Bill seeks to amend the Older Person’s Act (No. 13 of 2006) to address its implementation challenges. It seeks to insert new definitions and new provisions relating to the monitoring and evaluation of all services to older persons, to make provision for the removal of older persons to temporary safe care without a court order, to tighten up the existing implementation and compliance measures and to make textual amendments for greater clarity.

The Acting Chairperson of the committee, Ms Sthembile Hlongo, thanked the elderly people for their attendance at the public hearings and for their meaningful contributions on the Bill. She informed them that all their inputs will be considered when the committee has reached all the provinces. The committee will deliberate on them and make a report, which will be submitted to the National Assembly and then the National Council of Provinces for consideration and to the President to assent into law.

Source: Parliament of South Africa