Address by the Minister of Social Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya at the International Day of Older Persons, Makhado, Limpopo

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