Sixty + Counts event puts treatment of the elderly in the spotlight.:

Cape Town: On Thursday, 12 October, the Sixty + Counts panel discussion and silent auction at Alliance Française du Cap in Cape Town highlighted the important role that older persons play in South Africa together with the challenging living conditions that many elderly face daily.

“It is assumed that the elderly in communities are the most respected but they are often the forgotten, neglected and even abused,” says Lulama Sigasana, Head of the Seniors Programme at Cape Town based NGO, Ikamva Labantu.

The Sixty + Counts initiative is a partnership between the Embassy of France in South Africa and Cape Town based NGO, Ikamva Labantu and recognises the International Day of Older Persons (1 October) and South Africa’s Older Persons Week (30 September – 6 October) and Social Development Month (October).

The panel discussion focussed on the challenging realities for the elderly in South Africa, whilst also highlighting the work that is being done and what can still be done through collaboration between Government and non-governmental organisations.

Panellists included Owen Kleinhans from the Department of Justice; Dr Leon Geffen, Executive Director, Samson Institute for Ageing Research; Gavin Weir, Director of Sector Task Team for Older Persons and Lulama Sigasana, the Head of the Seniors Programme at Ikamva Labantu.

Says Weir,: “We have one of the best constitutions in the world, we have the Older Person’s Act, but without the resources to implement the basic rights of the elderly, these are not worth the paper they are written on.”

Weir continued to say that through engagement with Provincial and Local Government on housing, it became clear that the social grant receiving pensioner was not a priority. He says: “we have to start understanding that there is not necessarily help available from Government, we need to mobilise society to protect and celebrate the ‘living libraries’ in our communities and our nation.”

Owen Kleinhans – who is responsible for all outreach activities at the Western Cape Regional Office at the Department of Justice (relating to Vulnerable Groups) made a public contract on the evening stating, “I am a public servant, contact me to protect the rights of the seniors and to let me serve you. There is a widespread lack of knowledge among seniors of their rights to protect themselves against domestic violence, loan sharks, economic and emotional abuse”. He reiterated the importance of a collective voice from seniors and a better understanding of their rights.

According to Dr Leon Geffen, Executive Director of the Samson Institute for Ageing Research, research is being undertaken to understand older persons’ perception of the healthcare services in South Africa with the intention of building a resilient healthcare service that responds to the needs of a rapidly ageing population. The current research has shown that older people attending healthcare clinics do not feel that their needs are currently being met.

The Moderator for the evening, Professor Brian Williams – who works in the field of mediation, peace-building and labour law, concluded the panel discussion by saying “we’re left with a powerful and profound question of humanity when it comes to our seniors, and it’s up to us as a collective, to answer it and to mobilise and support the rights of our seniors to human dignity”.

The silent auction resulted in R70,000-00 being raised for the Ikamva Labantu Seniors Programme, a programme that oversees and supports 19 independently managed Senior Clubs and an outreach programme throughout Cape Town’s townships.

“This amount will ensure that at least 185 seniors will be able to make vital appointments to specialised healthcare or grant-making services and contribute to the R9 million annual budget,” says Jovana Djeri, Head of Fundraising at Ikamva Labantu.

“France is committed, with local partners, to the social transformation of South Africa through projects such as this one. On the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons, we wanted to highlight and promote the excellent work done by Ikamva Labantu and put the spotlight on the rights of older people in South African society,” says Ambassador of France, Christophe Farnaud.

Says Djeri “We are delighted by the conversations that took place and the new networks that were established. That makes us especially hopeful that seniors are being heard.”

Concludes Sigasana: “Our seniors fought for freedom in South Africa. We say now that South Africa is Free. Who is Free? Our seniors certainly aren’t. There are not enough accessible facilities, there is not enough protection, there is not enough care. This is where government partners with, and relies on, civil society to provide additional assistance and a voice for the voiceless.”

Any of the photographs that were not sold through the silent auction are now on sale to the general public and the exhibition will be open to the public until the 29th of October.

For more information on Sixty + Counts or the seniors programme, please contact ronell@ikamva.co.za.

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