The residents of the Eastern Cape’s Chris Hani District supported the Older Persons Amendment Bill during public hearings conducted by the Portfolio Committee on Social Development at the Thobi Kula Indoor Sports Centre in Queenstown. yesterday

The elderly people who participated in the public hearings as individuals and as representatives of organised elderly people organisations and centres welcomed the opportunity to express their views on the Bill. Some of them told the committee that they only received the draft Bill a few hours before the public hearings were due to start yesterday, which disadvantaged them in making meaningful contributions on the Bill’s contents.

Meanwhile, in supporting the Bill, the elderly people one after another told the committee that in as much as they appreciate the services they get from government, some services are still lacking. They also have become more and more vulnerable to the escalating crime, crimes they claim are perpetuated by their unemployed children. Load-shedding increases their risk of being robbed and physically and sexually assaulted by criminals who are referred to as “amapara” in their communities.

The elderly people said they feel insecure where they live, the police and councillors have deserted them and they do not sleep well at night. They appealed for secure residential care facilities with proper maintenance and access to basic services – water supply, electricity and ablution facilities. They also called for government to secure permanent buildings for residential care facilities as the current facilities are rented from private properties or are in makeshift containers.

The participants also called for the payment date for the Old Age Grant to be the first day of the month, as it was originally. They said since the change, they are not sure about when they get their old age grants and they do not like this inconsistency.

The participants in the public hearings also called for healthcare services to be provided closer to where they live, so that they do not have to travel long distances to clinics and hospitals and they need decent toilets and water. They also called for equal provision of services for both rural and urban elderly people, as they note from television news that their urban-based counterparts get better services than them.

The Older Persons Amendment Bill aims to strengthen the protection and prevention of abuse of older persons, eliminate harmful traditional practices including witchcraft accusations against older people and recognise the responsibilities of older persons in passing on inter-generational knowledge and wisdom. The Bill also seeks to make provision for the removal of older people to temporary safe care without a court order.

The Acting Chairperson of the committee, Ms Bridget Masango, told those who still wish to make submissions on the Bill to do so and send their submissions to the indicated address. She thanked every participant for their contributions and encouraged them to follow up the committee’s processing of the Bill through various media channels until it is assented into law by the President.

Today, the committee will conduct public hearings in the Amathole District Municipality in Butterworth at Butterworth Town Hall from 10 am to 2 pm.

Source: Parliament of South Africa