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Discrimination Makes
Senior Citizens' Survival Difficult
By Masuzyo Chakwe, The Post
Zambia
May 26, 2005
Photo by Florida State Archives
The economic and political situations in many African countries are straining the traditional family structure, Zambia Aged People's Association vice-national secretary Cyprian Pombolokani has said.
Speaking at the district area committees' leaders meeting in Ndola, Pombolokani said discrimination and a lack of policies and legislation on the aged in the country had made it very difficult for senior citizens to survive.
He said the declining economic situation, HIV and AIDS and the rise in conflicts meant that older people in Africa were being denied access to basic rights and services and therefore lived in poverty.
Pombolokani said the change in cultural values and the changing relationships between the state and traditional leaders was undermining traditional values including respect for senior citizens.
He said there were very few countries in Africa where senior citizens were covered by the social welfare legislation, and Structural Adjustment Programmes forced older people to pay for services that were previously free.
He said a few countries, like Mauritius, South Africa, Mali and Cameroon, had national policies on ageing, although their implementation varied.
He said Zambia was among the countries without a policy on the aged and appealed to the government to rectify the situation.
Pombolokani said his organisation would do everything possible to ensure older people's rights were not violated in the country.
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