Statement

The ANCVL joins the international community in celebrating the International Day of Older People on 1 October 2024. The United Nations introduced this day to
raise awareness of opportunities and challenges faced by ageing populations, and to mobilise the wider community to address difficulties faced by older people, thus publicly draw attention to the challenges faced by elder persons.

In South Africa, the ANCVL celebrates this 01 October 2024 in recognition of the commencement of homecoming and the restitution of many freedom fighters and veterans of the liberation movements who the South African government has repatriated from the countries they passed on whilst in exile.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the supreme sacrifices made by these heroines and heroes, stalwarts of our movement, the ANC. Their contributions have been instrumental in our democratic victories achieved since 1994, and we honour their
legacy.

The tabling of amendments to the Older Persons Act deserves further celebration. They relate to the monitoring and evaluation of all services to older persons and for the removal of older persons to temporary safe care without a court order.

Human rights must lie at the core of all our efforts. The scourge of abuse, sometimes brutally foisted, on the elderly, as well as financial abuse, requires drastic action. We should be a caring society where much-needed dignity should be restored to the members of society who had made valuable contributions to the upbringing of our children and the improvement of our society.

We also recognise the essential contribution the majority of older people continue to make to society’s functioning since the burden of the high unemployment rate experienced, especially by young people, falls on the elderly, the majority of whom are reliant on social grants. This challenge cannot be celebrated and requires drastic interventions.

The ANCVL further welcomes President Ramaphosa’s signing into law of the National Health Insurance Act. The elderly members of our society would be deeply appreciative of health care where they no longer need to travel to health institutions at extreme early hours of the day and are being subjected to long queues to receive regular medication. The ANCVL will continue to support the implementation of the NHI so that we can overcome these challenges and celebrate 01 October with the dignity so required.

END//

President of the VL

Dr Snuki zikalala