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Govt Intensifies Law to Protect the Elderly
By Karen Pretorius, BuaNews
Cape Town, South Africa
August 3, 2004
Parliament's Select Committee on Social Services is currently engaged in a workshop to come up with legislation that will alter government's approach to the elderly.
Replacing the Aged Persons Act of 1967, which was amended in 1999, the Older Persons Bill aims to empower older persons, enforce punishment for any form of abuse and provide for programmes and services to them.
Some of the programmes that the Bill sets out for the development of older persons, include adult basic education and poverty alleviation.
Chief Director: Welfare Transformation Services in the Department of Social Development Nomathemba Kela said although the Act had been amended, it was still not responsive to the needs of older persons.
"We must look at a new developmental approach to the elderly, which the old Act did not do," she explained.
Ms Kela said the new approach promoted by the Older Persons Bill recognised that the Constitutional rights and human dignity of the elderly should be upheld.
It also recognises the skills and wisdom of older persons and their right to care and protection.
According to her, there are 3.3 million persons or seven percent of the population above the age of 60 in the country, 63 percent of which are women.
"The role of older persons in society has changed, from them becoming people that needed to be cared for to caregivers, the elderly are actually becoming second time parents.
"Most elderly people are affected by poverty, especially in the current scenario where they have to be providers and people actually living on pensions," she added.
It is expected that recommendations by the Select Committee would be integrated into the Bill.
Members of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) who serve on the Select Committee are scheduled to brief their respective provinces on the Bill later this week.
Provincial public hearings are planned from 9-13 August while the Bill will be finalised by the end of this year.
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