at the International Day of Older Persons, Makhado, Limpopo
1 October 2007
Programme Director
Premier
Colleagues
Honoured guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Avuxeni!
Our late friend of the struggle Doctor Aggrey Klaaste often used to recall a
legend passed amongst some races. Which legend directed those societies to take
their elderly into the open field and leave them at strategic points so that
they may be either attacked by marauding wild animals or starve to death. In
his view our society was beginning to follow this trend al-be-it to varying
milder degrees. Klaaste, being a proud son of the soil, would conclude this
tale by emphasising his being proud of being an African, since in the African
culture the tale and trend of elderly abuse is seen as criminal.
Indeed in each passing year of our democracy we have sought to instil these
and other progressive African values. Each of these passing years marks a new
chapter in the maturing of our democracy. Our struggle for the eradication of
poverty, for the restoration of human rights and dignity continues to gather
momentum. We must continue to fulfil the visions our elders who in the Freedom
Charter foretell that 'the aged, the orphans, the disabled and the sick shall
be cared for by the state.'
Today, as we mark the 17th anniversary of the International Day of Older
Persons, we must frankly ask the question of whether this vision is any nearer
to being fulfilled. It is significant that we pose the question here in the
land of great leaders (and elders) such as Ramabulana, Sekhukhune and Modjadji.
It is also relevant that we pose this question at the beginning of our Social
Development Month and in the midst of the provinces elders.
As we engage these difficult questions we must call upon the wisdom of our
past and living constituents of our veritable treasure chest of elders. Amongst
them JB Marks, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo and the former
Archbishop Desmond Tutu who have led our fight for democracy and freedom. In
reopening this treasure chest we must also recognise that this year we
commemorate the 40th anniversary of the passing of Inkosi Albert Luthuli.
It is therefore fitting that we have honoured Chief Luthuli along with
Oliver Tambo, in the naming of our National Orders, the Order of Luthuli and
the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo. In so doing, we have also reiterated
our age old belief that the elderly are carriers and transmitters of the true
values of our society. Our actions additionally resonate well with this year's
Day of the Older Person theme:'Addressing the Challenges and Opportunities of
Ageing: Empowering Older Persons.'
In seeking to address this theme we must give due recognition to the fact
that the world is undergoing a demographic revolution. Today, worldwide, there
are around 600 million persons aged 60 years and over this total will double by
2025 and will reach virtually two billion by 2050 the vast majority of them in
the developing world. In our fast ageing world, older people will increasingly
play a critical role through volunteer work, transmitting experience and
knowledge, helping their families with caring responsibilities and increasing
their participation in the paid labour force.
Already now, older persons make major contributions to society. For
instance, throughout Africa and elsewhere, millions of adult AIDS patients are
cared for at home by their parents. On their death, orphaned children left
behind (currently, 14 million under the age of 15 in African countries alone)
are mainly looked after by their grandparents. A recent World Health
Organisation report shows that over 60% of double and single orphans, who are
not living with a surviving parent, live in grandparent-headed households in
South Africa.
There is recognition that the potential of older persons is a powerful basis
for future development, enabling society to rely increasingly on the skills,
experience and wisdom of older persons not only to take the lead in their own
betterment, but also to participate actively in that of society as a whole.
The role of older persons in economic and social development is a major
feature of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, as is promoting
democracy and the rights of older persons through their participation in all
aspects of society. This year, we mark the 50th anniversary of the adoption of
the Madrid Plan and the launch of its first review and appraisal. Crucially,
this will be based on an inclusive and participatory approach, engaging older
persons themselves in the process.
This International Day of Older Persons is an opportunity to stimulate
discussion among all stakeholders on progress in implementing the Madrid Plan,
in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the broader United
Nations development agenda.
Ladies and gentlemen, the post-apartheid democratic South Africa continues
to make great strides in improving the quality of the life of the elderly.
During financial year 2007/08 and beyond, the department will allocate
resources to improve social welfare service delivery by implementing the Older
Persons Act of 2006. Over one million this year and next year has been set
aside for the implementation of the Act and training service providers and
personnel in the public service and civil society.
One of the areas of the main areas of focus of the Act is the protection of
the elderly from all forms of abuse and in a province such as Limpopo where the
aged are often accused of witchcraft the Act provides for anyone caring for the
elderly to take steps to ensure their safety. The Act aims at stopping once and
for all the slaughtering of elderly women and men who are accused of
witchcraft. We must therefore seek to ensure that where there are such actions
we utilise the correct institutions of justice including traditional courts and
processes under the leadership of our traditional and religious leaders.
Coupled with halting abuse is the serious matter of care, support and
contributions of the elderly. To this end my department will launch Older
Persons Forums this month, so as to ensure the active and meaningful
participation of the elderly in the national and social development policy
processes. While some 80 percent of the world's population are not covered by
social protection in their old age, South Africa is one of only three African
countries that provide non-contributory old age pensions to over two million
people. Nevertheless many challenges remain.
Older persons in South Africa have been through a lifetime of hardship,
malnutrition, poverty, and in old age, when they require to be rewarded for
their resilience the HIV and AIDS pandemic is posing an additional burden on
them. They are ably complying in their new roles. Even so South African
communities' still describe ageing in terms of 'cost factors' or the 'burden of
the future' and portrayed as requiring more and more help and support which
neither the family nor the state will be able to afford.
There is a major need to change our perception of ageing. The pressing needs
and demands of the older persons are often viewed from the country's economic
point of view. This leads to a complicated depersonalised system of social
services. It tends to replace rather than complement family policy. This
preoccupation has led to the creation of a relatively passive and disenchanted
sector of the population. More over, older persons carry a rather negative
image with the rest of the population, who, in turn, tend to marginalise them
in various ways. Older persons have become the victims of professional models
of care.
This needs to change. Our children need to recognise the skill and wisdom
that lie untouched within older persons. We need to start making use of the
resources that is accessible within our homes. There is a dire need for a
radical change of perspective, breaking the policy of segregation of older
persons and replacing it with a strategy of participation and involvement. We
should have faith in older persons giving them great responsibility and this is
not only in marginal decisions or those affecting the older persons but in
central decision making. Any form of discrimination has to be eradicated.
Policies for older persons should directly concern the present population of
young and middle aged persons within every population. The youthful population
of today will become the aged population of tomorrow.
The ageing population constitutes a valuable and important component of
society's human resources. It is high time that more attention be given to
utilising the invaluable resource of older persons to the fullest extent
possible. However important the role of the state and that of the
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) it is equally important that the elderly
themselves actively participate and contribute to the very developmental
progress of their country. In other words, older persons should be regarded as
contributors to and agents of a country's developmental effort and not as mere
beneficiaries.
By maximising the developmental potential of older persons, the entire
nation would benefit. Innovative policies and programmes for encouraging,
mobilising and securing the active participation of older persons in
development and at utilising their contribution to the country's economy and
social life need to be further activated. In this regard, the empowerment of
older persons and promotion of their full participation are essential elements
of active ageing. At the same time, older persons are reminded that by
participating in the cultural, economic, political and social life, lifelong
learning and voluntary activities in their community, they are contributing to
the growth and maintenance of their personal wellbeing.
In the case of retirement, it is important to bear in mind every effort
should be made to promote a smooth and gradual transition and also that
retirement does not stop one from being creative and contributive. Society has
an obligation to maximise the potential of older persons. The resource is
there, it only needs to be tapped and utilised.
In many Western societies the important role of elders has been lost and
they are often seen as a burden on society, a drain on the country's fiscus. In
Africa however, elders are respected and trusted as mediators, facilitators and
repositories of knowledge and wisdom. Indeed, in African societies, the elders
are considered to be vast reservoirs of the collective wisdom that has been
accumulated over time living libraries whose knowledge and wisdom can and
should be tapped.
This idea has been carried forward with the formation of 'The Elders' a
group of past world leaders, personally selected by Nelson Mandela and
committed to contributing their wisdom, leadership and integrity to tackle the
key challenges facing the world. The days of ignoring the role of the elderly
have come to an end as our former President himself stated they have a much
more important role to play in society to "support courage where there is fear,
foster agreement where there is conflict and inspire hope where there is
despair."
Let me conclude by recalling the words of Ma Rebecca Maile an elder citizen
of Majwemasweu Village, who when asked what her wish was during the compilation
of the Faces of Age Book, said: "My wish is to be able to serve God until I
die. For this I thank God. I pray for unity and reconciliation amongst people
and in churches. I pray that children must attend school and churches. I pray
for peace."
May her words live long!
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Social Development
1 October 2007
