ABATHUNYWA Ministries Fraternity, an organisation of pastors, calls for better treatment of elderly people.
The organisation’s founder, Reverand Zama Mfihlo, said their research found that the elderly people were being abused by people close to them.
Mfihlo addressed the elderly in Gugulethu on Saturday, 14 October. He said in some cases, the elderly were being abused financially, where grandchildren take their Sassa old age grant.
"In some instances, the abuse is physical and emotional.
“We've been going around to hear the challenges that elderly people face, and we realised they're facing a lot of abuse. This needs to be addressed,” said Mfihlo.
He said what's even is that when elderly people are seen walking at night, they're accused of bad things, adding that others end up being killed in the process.
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“Many of them now suffer from dementia. They sometimes talk about people who have passed away a long time ago. When they do that, they're accused of having a hand in that person's death, yet it's just old age that has caught up with them and dementia. People need to be educated about these issues because elderly people have had enough of abuse,” said Mfihlo.
Gogo Gladys Zito (86) from Gugulethu agreed with Mfihlo.
She said most of the time, she uses her money to buy food for her great-grandchildren because their parents, who are her grandchildren, left them with her without food.
“I sometimes have to use the little money I have to cater for my great-grandchildren, yet they get their own grant money. Their parents use the kids' money to buy booze. They even insult me when they come back to fetch the kids while drunk,” she said.
