By Rochelle Neidel
TSUMEB – Sex work and alcohol abuse have become a daily occurrence among pensioners living at Nomtsoub Old Age Home in Tsumeb.
Hordes of sex workers in their thirties and forties are flocking to the old age home where they offer sex to senior citizens for a fee.
The retirement home, which accommodates about 30 elderly people ranging from the age of 70 to 80 years has become a hunting ground for middle-aged skimply dressed prostitutes who flash their bodies to seduce the septuagenarians at the home.
Sex workers apparently charge sex-starved pensioners anything from N$50 to N$150 per session and sex is at times given on credit, say those in the know.
What New Era could not establish is whether these senior citizens use condoms or prefer unsafe skin-to-skin sex.
People involved in the trading of booze have also jumped into this strange alliance of questionable morals by selling alcohol to pensioners.
Apart from spending money on the pleasures of the flesh, some of the senior citizens at the home splurge their N$650 monthly grant on alcohol such as tombo or on 750mm bottles of Capeinheimer, Castelo or Zorba that cost about N$30 per bottle.
The matron Magdalena Neis confirmed alcohol abuse is high among the elderly at Nomtsoub Old Age Home in Tsumeb.
“The drinking is too much here at the old age home, it is a very bad scene when most of the residents get drunk but what can one do?” she said.
Neis noted some pensioners use most, if not all, of their pension money on alcohol until they cannot even pay for their monthly upkeep at the home.
“They have to pay N$200 every month to be able to eat and for the maintenance of their homes but many don’t, yet we still give them food as they are really old,” she further narrated.
She urged police to take note of those who go to the home to sell alcohol and engage in prostitution as “this cannot be allowed”.
Acting Oshikoto Regional Commissioner Willem Peter asked to be called back when asked whether he was aware of the illegal sale of alcohol and suspected sex work at the home.
“Please call me back later,” said the police commissioner.
Neis emphasized that many young women take advantage of the old men and hang around on days close to the monthly pension payout day so that they can make a quick buck by seducing the elderly.
“The HIV rate is very high here at the old age home yet some of the elderly still fall prey to young girls who come and do sex work to make easy money,” she said.
She further noted: “Some even fight for the money but we don’t have security personnel or anyone here that can enforce strict laws.”
An old man that spoke on condition of anonymity said: “Our pension is too little, we need an increase in our pension money.”
He says although he is a teetotaller he confirmed his peers have a weakness for the bottle.
The matron says although the home faces financial challenges, various companies have come on board to donate food that helps with the day-to-day running of the home. She added that members of the public occassionally assist the home with food.
Neis also revealed she has not received her salary since March this year.
She said plans were underway to move the old age home from where it is to the building just next to it in the direction of the nearby primary school.
“Hopefully things will change next year when a new building is built and security measures are in place.”