Vhembe elderly under the umbrella of Vhembe Age In Action, say enough is enough and have started a campaign to stamp out abuse in their homes and other public places.

This came under the spotlight during a recent march to highlight their plight. The march took place a fortnight ago. It started at the Thohoyandou Town Hall and proceeded to the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court, where a memorandum detailing their grievances was handed over.

The secretary of the organisation, Mr Edzisani Mulaudzi, said the abuse of the elderly by their own relatives, children and other community members has reached alarming proportions.  The elderly have become the victims of the worst form of abuse from family members and other members of the community who take advantage of their age and their state of their health. “We have to do something about it,” he said. Mulaudzi said many of the elderly are beaten up for their grant money by their own children and grandchildren. Some are even sexually abused and molested and called abusive names by their own people. He said the elderly are only taken care of when it is time for them to go and collect their grant money, which they do not even get to enjoy.

Speaking during the campaign, the executive mayor of Vhembe District, Cllr Falaza Mdaka, said the elderly deserved the best in life as they are the ones who brought the next generation into this world. He said it was shameful to see that there are still people out there who take pride in abusing the elderly. Mdaka said they suffered many types of abuse, even at places where they should be getting preferential treatment like at banks, public transport and health institutions, where they are forced to queue like children.

 “As a caring municipality, we cannot just sit down and watch as if nothing is happening. We have to act and make our elderly comfortable,” he said. He said it is even more painful when those who are abused do not even know what to do; they do not know where to go for help. He said the campaign should help to inform the elderly about their rights and also help members of the general public to recognize acts of abuse of the elderly early in order for them to act swiftly against the perpetrators.