SAOPF Blog

DEATH OF MME WINKIE DIREKO A SAD LOSS FOR THE COUNTRY

2012-02-22T10:45:00.002+02:00

Mme Winkie at SAOPF AGM as we at the SAOPF will remember her- always ready for a smile!

We were deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the death of one of our fellow directors and former Premier of the Free State, Mme Winkie Direko; she had been involved and supported the SAOPF since its inception and served as director since 2010.

She was a role model for young and old and embodied true selfless service to her country and committed herself to the protection and promotion of the rights of vulnerable older persons. Mme Winkie was always willing to assist, despite her degrading health, to lobby for a better life for senior citizens everywhere.

We will remember her as a wise mother to all that knew her and a pillar of strength in the fight for human rights and dignity.

The SAOPF would like to extend our sincerest condolences to her family.

http://www.thenewage.co.za/44386-1018-53-Zuma_declares_Direko_funeral_a_state_affair

Mme Winkie with Madiba at a meeting of older persons from around the country on 5 September 2008

Mme Winkie lashing out at the poor treatment of the elderly at SAOPF workshop in Bloemfontein 27/07/2010

Mme Winkie & Adv Madonesela at SAOPF AGM

Gauteng Premier Speaks at SAOPF Workshop in Soweto - 15/11/2011

2011-11-15T15:41:00.001+02:00

Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane

The SAOPF workshop was attended by approximately 240 older persons from various districts in Gauteng, members of both the National and Provincial departments of Social Development, the CRL Commission, the Commission for Gender Equality, the Public Protector and Age-in-Action.

“It is about time that we speak out against abuse and violation of the older person so that we can rid society of the bad elements,” Premier Nomvula Mokonyane told older persons at the workshop held at Regina Mundi Church on 15 November.

Premier Mokonyane told the audience that we cannot afford to fold our arms and watch the older persons suffer; the protection, caring and support of the elderly should be the concern of every self-respecting member of society.

The premier said the Provincial Government of Gauteng was committed to upholding the rights of older persons and their welfare and will be working with the newly established Gauteng Older Persons’ Forum to deal with the challenges they are facing.

She said the exploitation, abuse and neglect suffered by elders told of the level of moral bankruptcy found in society.

“If that is allowed to happen, we are not only failing in our responsibility towards the elderly but becoming accomplices in a systematic destruction of the wealth of knowledge, experience and history of which the elderly area repository,” said Mokonyane.

The Premier made it clear that government should not be seen as a “black government” but as a government for all people and that the commitment of the Gauteng government to the wellbeing and protection of older persons extends to all elderly, those living in communities and with families as well as those living in residential care facilities.

The Gauteng Older Persons’ Forum will take the Premier up on her offer and work in partnership with her office and the Department of Social Development to give older persons in the province a voice and thereby create a better life for all the aged in the province.

More Pictures from Soweto Workshop:

240 Seniors Attended the Workshop

Premier Mokonyane with Executive of the Gauteng Older Persons’ Forum

SAOPF AGM 19/10/11- PICTURES

2011-10-25T10:27:00.001+02:00

1500 PEOPLE, MOSTLY SENIOR CITZENS ATTENDED THE AGM

MEMBERS OF THE KZN FORUM

SAOPF AND KZN SENIOR CITIZENS FORUM

MINISTER DLAMINI AND SAOPF COORDINATOR

MR TOM BOYA, SAOPF CHAIR

MINISTER DLAMINI GREETS REV MGOJO

CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT, AGM, 19/10/2011

2011-10-25T10:15:00.003+02:00

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT FOR A PERIOD ENDING 2011  

It’s with extreme pleasure and greatness to be presenting this report for the second time as the chairman of the South African Older Persons Forum most importantly when I look back from where this organization started. It took a lot of dedication and hard work in reaching some of the goals the forum has already achieved throughout all these years. One of the golden milestones we have achieved is when the forum managed to launch the South African Older person’s charter throughout the country.

I would like to appreciate and give gratitude to the board of directors of the forum, provincial forums, the Department of Social Development and other stakeholders for their support given to me during my term in office and I would like to encourage such kind of support to continue forever.

As the chairman of the forum I am glad to inform you that there has been a high demand by families, Community, Government inviting us to come and address, educate them about older person’s forum and its activities. 

I am also thankful to all the members of the board that stood firm through their personal difficulties including me and managed to continue serving older persons. Through 2010-2011 financial periods we have noticed the deployment of various Government officials and municipalities especially the reshuffle of our previous Minister of Social Development Ms. Edna Molewa and her deputy Ms Bathabile Dlamini who the Forum worked with closely. As the chairperson of the forum I would like to congratulate and thank her for the role she played as a minister in making sure that the voice of the elderly is heard in Government.

Secondly I would like to inform you that I welcome the appointment of our newly appointed Minister of Social Development Ms Bathabile Dlamini and her deputy Ms Bongi Maria Ntuli and I believe together with her more will be achieved. Her passion for older persons has already delivered positive results.

This has been a very busy period for Government, Municipalities, and political parties especially in organizing peaceful local government elections. Firstly I would like to thank and appreciate the work done by IEC and the ruling party the African National Congress in making it a priority that our older persons don’t wait in long quees when voting and by that you have played a crucial role in addressing the rights of older persons.

It is with sadness to touch on the horrific death of 12 people that died at the Struisbult Frail Care centre in springs, Gauteng, is the 4th major fire at such facilities in the last two years. Last year we experience such kind of horror at the Pieter Wessels Old Age home. On behalf of the forum I would like to request an urgent intervention by our Government in ensuring compliance in such facilities.

We are now approaching one of the important dates in our organization, with the 1st of October marking the international day for older persons and November being our centenarian month celebration. It is that time that our provincial forums should facilitate the implementation of our programs and fasten ties with stakeholders in making sure that these important days are noticed and respect is paid back to our older persons who made us to be what we are.

The forum is not happy with the South African Police Services since they have not responded to our request to hold a meeting with them to address issues like older persons being robbed at pension points and being short changed their money. Implementation of the Older person’s Act 13 of 2006 is very imperative and we would like to notice work being done.

The critical shortage of social workers should be looked at in addressing issues related to old age home and community based care centres. 

Lack of cooperation between relevant government departments as well with service providers and other stakeholders limit the implementation of policies and programmes and consequently the realization of socio-economic rights for older persons. It is in this regard that we would like to encourage Government departments in functioning together in the provision of socio-economic goods and services.

Government should assist with transport services for our older persons in getting them to hospitals, clinics or even to South African Social Security Agency (SASSA –Paypoints) or to Home Affairs Department for their ID’s

Our older people are vulnerable to malnutrition and illnesses and this is because of lack of access to facilities as well as results of poverty Government needs to ensure that it put proper food support programs in dealing with such.

Our Government hasn’t yet helped the older persons in addressing the issue of getting their pensions in a safe and efficient manner, we as the older persons we would be happy to see a country where our senior citizens don’t wait in cold/hot long queues to get their pension grants.

I believe its time now that the older person’s forum should have a representative in the South African National Aids Council (SANAC) as it is the older people that are taking care of the sick parents and left behind with the responsibility of looking after these orphans. 

Through the previous year we have been seriously engaged through various Government programs that are aligned to the mission and visions of the South African Older Persons Forum most importantly having formed a partnership with the National Department of Social Development and pleased to highlight some of the following:

·        The South African Older Persons Forum met the Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and managed to meet with the newly appointed Minister of Social Development Ms Bathabile Dlamini on several occasions raising issues affecting the older persons.

·        The South African Older Persons Forum has been widely recognized by the community and municipalities more especially in Limpopo, KZN, Western Cape and other provinces.

·        Continuous stakeholder meeting with Department of social development and the South African Human Rights Commission.

·        Meeting with Public Protector-RSA(Public Protector’s office promising to listen to older persons complaints)

In conclusion I would like express sincere gratitude to the sponsors/funders of the forum both nationally and provincially more especially (National Lottery, Department of Social Development, SASSA and also to thank other organizations (Age In Action e.tc) as it was through their support that the South African Older Persons Forum continued to inspire a greater participation and their voices being heard. It is in these voices that ultimately tell the true stories of the plight of elderly particularly those who have been disadvantaged, are victims of poverty and dependant on the state for financial and social support for survival.

Ndiyabulela, Ngiyabonga, Baie dankie, Ke a leboga, Ngiyathokoza,Ndi-livhuwa ,He-khensile, Thank you

Tom Boya

National Chairman: SAOPF

SAOPF COORDINATOR ANNUAL REPORT, 19/10/11

2011-10-25T10:12:00.000+02:00

Coordinators Report

The SAOPF’s structure as a co-ordinating body for organisations, individual older persons and provincial forums is critical to fulfilling our mandate as the voice of all older persons in the country. With the establishment of the SAOPF in 2006, some existing organisations expressed concern in regard to the possible duplication of services and mandates by the SAOPF. In time, however, the aged sector began to see the value of the SAOPF’s collective mandate; the year under review being a striking example of what can be achieved through active lobbying and advocacy by means of a consultative, collective effort of the aged sector. In the past, the aged sector was seen as fragmented and lacking a collective voice; this is no longer the case.

It is very clear that the Minister of Social Development, Ms. Bathabile Dlamini, is committed to engaging with the SAOPF and its members as partners; this in itself is reflective of the commitment of the department to vulnerable older persons. That being said however, there is still a lot more to be done to ensure the rights of older persons are protected. The finalization of the Regulations to the Older Persons’ Act in April 2010 was a very important first step but to date only three provinces have signed the delegation of powers to enable the implementation of the Older Persons Act. This, in effect, means that the Act is only operational in three provinces where implementation has been slow, primarily due to budgetary constraints. If the Act is to be implemented effectively, provinces must allocate sufficient budgets for this purpose.

In reality the older persons that are the most vulnerable are the indigent and those living in far flung rural areas. In provinces such as Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape where there are many remote rural areas, the prevalence of violence and the abuse of older persons is a sad reality. For these older persons access to recourse provided under the Older Persons Act has not really materialized. Of equal concern is that these marginalized older persons have little or no access to services, especially Community and Home Based Care Services; the development of the last mentioned is critical to alleviating the plight of frail older persons.

The concern echoed in the media and by the general public in response to recent fires at residential care facilities that claimed the lives of many older persons, is indicative of serious marginalization of the older population. NGO’s operating facilities claim that the primary reason for the fires is the direct result of inadequate funding which leads to old fire fighting equipment and poor maintenance. The standardization of subsidies to facilities is something that the SAOPF has, in the year under review, been actively lobbying for. Management of facilities must also assume some of the responsibility in preventing fires and should become more pro-active in approaching their local fire departments, requesting inspections and training, the establishment of a Fire and Risk Committee tasked with fire-safety and evacuation procedures in all homes and enlisting community involvement in evacuation procedures.

Another worrying factor in relation to residential care facilities is the issue of transformation; in some homes transformation has not yet occurred and does not seem to be a priority of management. This situation cannot be allowed to continue; NGO s and FBOs that operate residential care facilities without a transformation agenda must be taken to task. There are too many instances of social workers looking for accommodation for an older person that has been the victim of abuse or simply an indigent older person only to be met with exuberant admission fees or questionable claims of no beds.

In the year under review the SAOPF and members have actively engaged government and stakeholders regarding a variety of issues pivotal to the realization of the rights of older persons which include: Socio-economic rights of older persons, health care, mental health, social security and housing. A great leap was made when the Older Persons’ Charter was launched as a joint venture between the Department of Social Development and the SAOPF on the 28^th of March 2011 at Freedom Park; it was an acknowledgement and commitment by the state in regard to the rights of older persons. The launch also created public awareness of the plight, contribution and rights of older persons. The SAOPF would like to thank Minister Dlamini and the DoSD for their great effort in realizing this.

Given the role and mandate of the SAOPF as the voice of older persons at a national level there is no doubt that the role of older persons forums at provincial, district and municipal level is essential to the development of a coordinated and structured older persons lobby in South Africa. In this chain, provincial forums are of critical importance as they are tasked with the establishment of district and municipal forums which, in effect, would take lobbying right down to grassroots level. Great success has been achieved in this regard by the KZN and Western Cape Forums. For this to be replicated the support of provincial governments is required.

Despite the fact that the South African Government has developed a legal framework for protecting, promoting and fulfilling the rights of older persons, the reality is that many individual older persons, especially the most vulnerable living in rural areas, experience various forms of discrimination on a daily basis. The SAOPF will continue its work as older persons, whether healthy or frail, deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and to have their rights upheld; Human Rights don’t stop at 60!

MINISTER'S ADDRESS AT SAOPF AGM, 19/10/11

2011-10-25T10:07:00.000+02:00

Programme Director,

Premier of the Free State, Mr Ace Magashule,

Deputy Minister of Social Development, Mama Maria Ntuli,

MEC for Social Development, Ms Sisi Ntombela,

Chairperson of the South African Older Persons Forum, Mr Tom Boya,

The leadership of the Forum, and

Our most important guests: Older Persons from all provinces,

Sanibonani! Dumelang! Avhuxeni!

We are very happy that this day has finally come, especially at the time when we celebrate October as Social Development Month. This event therefore gives government and older persons the necessary platform to exchange ideas on how best we can collectively improve the lives of senior citizens for the better. We see this gathering as an important milestone because it is for the first time that an Annual General Meeting of the Forum is attended by so many older persons from all provinces!

This is important to us because we believe that older persons must speak for themselves and talk openly about issues that affect them, and that they must be the ones who collectively give a mandate to the Forum and inform our programmes. Our understanding is that the Forum must be the voice of older persons throughout the country regardless of their geographic location.

As government and the nation at large, we have a responsibility to create a caring environment for vulnerable members of society, including our senior citizens. To us, they remain valuable treasurers who helped shape the free and democratic society we live in today. I know that among us today there are those who stood up against the brutal apartheid regime that denied people basic human rights on the basis of race. I want to acknowledge the meaningful role that older persons continue to play in all areas of our society- in politics, voluntary and community work, and family life. The reality in many communities is that older persons continue to bear the burden of providing care and support to an increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children, while caring for their own chronically-ill children. They also incur the financial burden that comes with those responsibilities.

It is for this reason that in this new democratic order, we must do everything in our power to ensure that the rights of older persons are promoted and protected. Older persons are the custodians of positive values who continue to shape a better future for our children. We encourage all sectors of society to recognise and appreciate their collective wisdom, skills and experience, which they acquired over the past many years. It is therefore necessary that we learn from their life experiences as individuals, families and communities.

As we grapple with the many social problems facing our country, we must enlist the wisdom of older persons to confront our challenges head-on. It is important to locate the role they can play individually and collectively as their contribution to fight those social ills.

It is a known reality that the poverty situation and the impact of HIV and AIDS have caused serious strain on many families. There are children who end up assuming the responsibilities of caring for their siblings as a result of illness or deaths associated with the HIV pandemic. This unfortunate situation robs the affected children of the appropriate care and support they deserve. We are aware of the role played by many older persons, in their capacity as grandparents or relatives, to provide care and support to vulnerable children, especially orphans. We want to thank and applaud you for taking care of those children especially at the time when they need you most. As government, we have the responsibility to encourage all members of society to create an environment of care, protection and support for children.

It is for this reason that today we urge older persons to play an active role in communities especially in support of child-headed households. As government, we plan to recruit and train 10 000 Child and Youth Care Workers over the next three years to support children living in child-headed households. We plan to reach out to 1, 4 million children in this regard.

We are already working with our partners in civil society to achieve this, including through the involvement of older persons. Amongst our partners is LoveLife, who help us strengthen support to orphans and vulnerable children through the Gogo Getter Programme. Gogo Getters are part of a network of 500 grandmothers across South Africa, who support orphans and vulnerable teenagers and their younger siblings to develop a sense of purpose and belonging in life. Their aim is to champion the cause of close to 10 000 young people, to make them feel they belong, keep them at school, assist them to secure access to social security grants, prevent physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and keep them from hunger. Many of these children come from families whose members are infected and affected by HIV and Aids.

We believe that based on their life experiences, older persons have the capacity to make those children feel a sense of belonging. We also believe that older persons can in fact instill positive values in these children, which will keep them focused on things that will build them, such as education. I have no doubt that older persons can reach out to these child-headed households because they know where these households are, in their communities. Generally, the South African Older Persons Forum must help facilitate the role that older persons can play in the affairs of their communities. They must ensure that older persons are organised across the country, including those in rural areas and informal settlements. The focus should not only be on those who live in old age homes. I make this statement to highlight the reality that older persons who live in communities are alive to the day-to-day challenges on the ground and can play a role in turning the situation around.

Let us therefore accord them the necessary space so that they can play that active role. Importantly, we want older persons to know their rights. We launched the Charter on the Rights of Older Persons in March this year to highlight that older persons’ rights are also human rights. This Charter is inspired by the Older Persons Act. Our view is that older persons must not be taken advantage of or be victimised on the basis of age. They must never be subjected to any form of abuse, especially secondary abuse wherever they live. As we launched the Charter, we recalled that many of our older people continue to live in poverty, face negative perceptions about ageing, continue to be victimized by merciless criminal elements and worst of all, face abuse, neglect and exploitation sometimes by their very own family members.

The Department of Social Development has a mandate to ensure that we deal effectively with the plight of older persons by creating a framework that empowers and protects them in terms of their rights, status, well-being, as well as safety and security. Amongst other things, we want to protect older persons from loan sharks. We are busy discussing measures that government will undertake to shield senior citizens from unscrupulous business people whose intention is to rob older persons of their old age grants. We will work with the Forum to protect the rights of older persons. We call on older persons themselves to use the pension money responsibly for the intended purpose – which is to take care of their own needs! Currently, more than 2 million eligible older persons receive the State Old Age Pension. Research has clearly shown that the provision of old age pensions not only benefits older persons, but that it helps the whole family including their children, and grandchildren.

We are also working towards the universalisation of the Old Age Pension Grant and abolition of the means test. At the recent meeting MINMEC meeting that was held in Soweto we have agreed with SASSA that no grant reviews will be conducted between December and January, so as to avoid disrupting the lives of families who rely on social grant as their main source of income. Other additional measures include assessing the feasibility of state-funded funeral scheme for older persons receiving the Old Age Grant as well the feasibility of conducting grant reviews for older persons above 75 years at home rather than at SASSA pay points.

In conclusion, I must mention that the basis for providing a caring and supportive environment for older persons is guided by the principles associated with active ageing. Active ageing requires a society that enables older persons to be actively involved in all aspects of life in society, including sport. We are happy that you will be participating in the Golden Games over the next few days. We hope that this will provide an opportunity for you to exercise and have fun.

We also hope that you will have a successful Annual General Meeting (AGM), whose outcomes will be in the interest of older persons in South Africa. Amongst other issues, I hope that the Forum will have an inclusive constitution that also takes into account older persons in rural areas and their interests. Like I mentioned earlier, older persons must speak for themselves and be the ones who give a mandate to the Forum. We want them to understand the role they should play in communities. This can happen if we establish local committees of the forum at local level with clear roles and responsibilities. In this way, we will allow older person a platform to occupy space in communities for them to help find solution to problems facing society.

I wish you a successful AGM.

Thank you

LAUNCH OF THE OLDER PERSONS’ CHARTER

2011-04-05T11:59:00.001+02:00

LAUNCH OF THE OLDER PERSONS’ CHARTER

Addressing senior citizens during the launch of the Charter on the Rights of Older Persons held at Freedom Park on March 29, 2011, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini said that "Older persons deserve to have their rights realised and their specific needs met so that they can continue to live their lives in dignity and make a contribution to our society.”

The Charter was developed by the South African Older Persons’ Forum (SAOPF) over a period of four years from 2007 to 2010. Workshops, in which older persons were given the opportunity to give input to the Charter, formed part of a national consultation process through which the Charter was developed. Role players and stakeholders also involved in the consultation process included academia, traditional leaders, war veterans and various organisations and individuals working in the aged sector.

In the preamble to the Older Persons’ Charter, older persons expressed their wish to “lead useful and satisfying lives, to stay in our homes for as long as we are able, to receive care and support when we need it and, when we are no longer able to live at home, to be cared for in a place that protects us and allows us to lead dignified lives until the end of our days.”

The launch of the Charter was preceded by the finalization of the Older Persons’ Act (13/2006) when the Regulations were published in April of 2010. Due credit should be given to the Department of Social Development for making a concrete effort to create a better life for thousands of vulnerable older persons. While the Older Persons’ Act focuses on maintaining and promoting the status, well-being, safety and security of older persons, the Charter on the Rights of Older Persons seeks to ensure that older persons live in an environment which upholds the United Nations Principles for Older Persons based on independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity.

ROEDOLF KAY

NATIONAL COORDINATOR

SOUTH AFRICAN OLDER PERSONS’ FORUM

Older Persons attending the launch

Deputy Minister Bongi Maria Ntuli

Minsiter Bathabile Dlamini

Minister Bathabile Dlamini & Mr Tom Boya (SAOPF Chairperson)

Abigail Kubeka & Mara Louw entertains older persons


Mara Louw show Mr Roedolf Kay (SAOPF National Coordinator) how to dance

Proudly dislaying the Older Persons' Charter

SAOPF / SASSA Workshop for older persons- 17-18 Feb 2011

2011-02-25T08:55:00.000+02:00

Workshops for older persons was conducted by the SAOPF in partnership with SASSA on the 17th and 18th of February in Polokwane, Limpopo. The theme for the workshop on the 17^th was “The Social Grant Benefit Payment System and the Rights of Older persons in South Africa” and was facilitated by the SAOPF and SASSA; the theme for the workshop on the 18^th was “Older Persons Rights are Human Rights” and included presentations by the SAOPF, SAHRC, Public Protector, Age-in-Action and SAPS. The workshop was attended by 200 older persons for all districts in Limpopo and older persons were encouraged to interact with officials from all organisations present. The workshop was an opportunity for older persons’ to make their voices heard.

The SAOPF conducts provincial workshops /dialogue sessions on an on-going basis as a means engaging older persons at community level about a wide variety of issues affecting their rights and wellbeing. The workshops have proved to be extremely valuable and informative to older persons. All workshops are done in partnership with the Organisations with a vested interest in older persons and include: SAHRC, CRL Commission, Gender Commission, SASSA, DSD (National & Provincial) and the Office of the Public Protector. The workshops play a critical role in engaging and informing older persons about their rights and hence we try to get as many older persons as is logistically possible to every workshop.

For a schedule of SAOPF Workshops, please visist:https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=rjttgtk3nej234mk88voa0v6lc@group.calendar.google.com&ctz=Africa/Johannesburg&pvttk=cf31fe76df82a204de08df3adb91a5ab+&gsessionid=OK

SAOPF MEETS WITH MINISTER DLAMINI 15/02/11

2011-02-25T08:26:00.000+02:00

In reference to the previous meeting of the Minister the SAOPF delegation entered into discussion with the minister regarding the following issues:

a) DELEGATION OF POWERS (OLDER PERSONS’ ACT 13/2006)

b) LAUNCH OF THE OLDER PERSONS’ CHARTER

c) THE ROLE OF THE SA OLDER PERSONS FORUM & ITS PROVINCIAL COUNTERPARTS

d) ISSUES RELATED TO SOCIAL SECURITY INCLUDING SOCIAL SECURITY FOR OLDER PERSONS THAT ARE REFUGEES

The SAOPF delegation consisted of:

· SAOPF directors

· Representatives for provincial forums

· Representatives from Residential Care Facilities

· Representatives from civil society

The DSD delegation consisted of:

· Honourable Minister of Social Development, Republic of South Africa, Ms Bathabile Dlamini

· Senior DSD Officials

For more info re resolutions taken at the meeting, please contact the SAOPF Office: info@saopf.org.za

Mr Tom Boya & Minister Dlamini

Delegation

Deliberations

Mr Roedolf Kay

SAOPF / KZN Forum Meeting with SASSA- Durban 02/12/2010

2010-12-02T12:20:00.005+02:00

What became very clear at this meeting was that older persons, especially those in rural areas, experience extreme difficulties relating to the payment of and application for older age/ child support grants. Issues focused on at the meeting included: The Means Test, Reviews & Life Certification, Contracts with Service Providers, Protection of older persons at paypoints / Security at Paypoints, Staff Attitude, Payments (Start & End Times) and Facilities at paypoints

Older Persons Act launch in Ezinqoleni/Izingolweni- 15/07/10

2010-11-10T20:30:00.000+02:00

Tom Boya addresses crowd

New SAOPF Elected at the 4th AGM

2010-11-10T12:02:00.000+02:00

(from left):

Mr Patrick Pasha (Eastern Cape), Mr Welcome Mlenzana (Eastern Cape), Mr Tom Boya (Limpopo), Ms Ewelyn (Ewie) Kiewitz (Western Cape), Mr Moses Habile (Mpumalanga, just behind me), Mr Roedolf Kay, Ms Pauline Duncan (KZN), Mr Pravin Patak (KZN), Ms Ivy Kgetse (Free State)

Pictures of the Golden Games 15/09/2010- KZN

2010-11-10T08:48:00.000+02:00

Adv Thuli Madonsela (Public Protector) at the 4th Annual General Meeting of the SAOPF

2010-02-09T20:36:00.000+02:00

Adv Thuli Madonsela

Address by Public Protector Adv Thuli Madonsela at the 4^th Annual General Meeting of the South African Older Persons’ Forum (SAOPF) in Bloemfontein, Free State on Thursday, September 02, 2010.

SAOPF Chairperson Mr Tom Boya;

The Board of Directors;

National Coordinator Mr Roedolf Kay;

Members of the SAOPF;

Ladies and Gentlemen;

It is indeed a great honour for me to be invited to this occasion.

The SAOPF represents the interests of the elderly in our country. These senior citizens form part of the people who complain to me regularly about the state’s conduct towards them. I am therefore pleased to be afforded an opportunity to address this meeting.

It is alarming that in this day and age, older persons still get abused, neglected and prejudiced instead of being given the care they rightfully deserve. It is far worse when the perpetrator is the state.

Now and again my office gets complaints from senior citizens or people acting on their behalf concerning old age grants that are terminated without any sound explanation by the state agency responsible for the administration and disbursement of grants, SASSA.

When we demand answers from SASSA, they dump the problem at Home Affairs’ doorstep, saying the reason for the discontinuation of grants is because the beneficiaries’ identity numbers are shared by other people.

While this is taking place, the poor pensioners’ socio-economic livelihoods are negatively affected and they go back to living below the breadline as their only source of income has been taken away.

There are other types of cases involving older persons that my office handles now and again. These include delayed processing of application for RDP houses, which impede on their right to shelter. As the Public Protector I say this cannot continue.

It would appear that not much has changed regarding the plight of older persons since a report by the Ministerial Committee assigned by former Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya in 2000 to investigate media reports that older people were being abused.

Titled “Mothers and Fathers of the Nation: The Forgotten People”, the report revealed that abuse and neglect of the elderly was common in residential homes, hospitals, within families, in communities, in pension queues and government offices, among other things.

Judging by the kind of complaints my office continues to handle, the tide against this abuse -especially in cases where the conduct of the state is in question- is yet to turn.

I must say, however, that I am encouraged by the recent enactment of the Older Persons’ Act, which is set to address the plight of older persons by establishing a framework for their empowerment, protection and for the promotion and maintenance of their status, rights, well-being, safety and security. I do hope that implementation of this long overdue legislation will be among the priorities on responsible government departments.

Chairperson;

A perception has been created that the Public Protector only deals with complaints of good governance involving high profile figures in organs of state such a MECs, Premiers, Ministers and even the President. This is mostly because the media, on which we rely for the distribution of information, only takes a keen interest in such cases for obvious reasons. While we can try to influence content, we have no control over what the media publishes.

I would therefore like to unequivocally state that this perception is totally incorrect. The truth of the matter is that a large majority of the cases we deal with (about 98 percent) involve ordinary people such as older persons. We are currently refining our Outreach, Education and Communication strategy to effectively make use of alternative ways of informing communities about our role and services.

Let me now give a brief background on the Public Protector and how it goes about addressing the plight of older persons. The Public Protector is an independent institution created by Chapter 9 of the Constitution to support and strengthen constitutional democracy. It is an impartial institution that exercises its powers and performs its functions without fear, favour or prejudice.

Accountable only to the law and the constitution, the Public Protector reports to the National Assembly only on its performance. Any person or organ of state is prohibited from interfering with the functioning of the Public Protector. In fact organs of state are compelled by section 181 of the Constitution to support the Public Protector and other constitutional institutions.
Five key pieces of legislation give the Public Protector specific powers. These are the Public Protector Act of 1994 (PPA), the Executive Members Ethics Act of 1998, the Protection and Promotion of Access to Information Act of 2000 (PAIA), the Protected Disclosures Act of 2000 (PDA) and the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004 (PCCA). There are other laws such as the Housing Protection Measures of 1998.

The Public Protector Act, which covers the conduct of all public authorities, is the most relevant when we look into the type of complaints we usually receive concerning the plight of older persons.

Older persons or anyone acting on their behalf can approach the Public Protector anytime when they have complaints regarding improper or prejudicial conduct of an organ of state, public official or public office bearer.

In the past the Public Protector focused a lot on its investigative powers. While continuing to use investigations, we are harnessing the full powers of the Public Protector. We are now exhausting all the powers given to us by law to resolve your complaints in a manner that ensures justice.

In line with this, the Public Protector no longer relies only on investigating and issuing reports with recommendations. The Public Protector Act actually gives me the power to take remedial action. One of the ways of taking this remedial action to rectify the failures of the state is to use appropriate dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediating, negotiating and conciliating. It feels good to say a lot of complaints have been resolved this way.

We have committed ourselves to a vision that states that we seek: “to be a trusted, effective and accessible Public Protector that rights administrative wrongs and consistently acts with integrity to ensure fair, accountable and responsive decision-making, service and good governance in all state affairs and public administration in all spheres of government”.

Flowing from this vision, are two specific promises, we have made to the public:

To be accessible to and trusted by all persons and communities;
To deliver prompt remedial action
To promote good governance.

The Public Protector has offices spread across the country, where victims can report alleged or suspected improper or prejudicial conduct by the state for investigation. Details can be obtained on our website: www.publicprotector.org or our toll free line 0800 11 20 40.

In Bloemfontein, our office can be found at No 15 West Burger Street, 2^nd Floor Standard Bank House in the Central Business District. The number to call is (051) 448 6172.

I call on delegates representing various members of the SAOPF in this meeting today to make use of our service. This is a free service that brings the much needed relief to complainants. More so since most people cannot afford to hire attorneys to take the state to task.

Thank you.