SAHRC concerned by the lack of protection for older persons

Lusanda Bill
05 June 2015

The South African Human Rights Commission has completed a report into the challenges relating to the treatment of older persons.

The report states that older persons in the country continue to lack access to adequate health and basic education, suffer gender discrimination and abuse, and are threatened with economic isolation with no prospect of securing employment.

The commission’s Isaac Mangena said we believe that we really need to stand up as South Africans and really protect the rights of older persons.

Mangena said particularly in extreme rural areas you find that older persons are neglected, physically abused and raped, because you find that the children and grandchildren move to the suburbs so they find themselves exposed to these kind of problems.

“We are hoping that government will take steps which we have put in the recommendations to try and do more to protect older persons in the country” Mangena added.