Outapi
Of late there is a shift in mindset, with some traditional leaders in Omusati Region supporting the idea of setting up old age homes to look after destitute pensioners within communities that previously regarded the idea as “foreign” to Africa.
Traditional leaders and community members from various constituencies met on Friday to discuss the proposal to set up more old age homes in Namibia that was tabled last year by DTA Member of Parliament Elma Jane Dienda.
They said although there have been concerns raised about senior citizens gambling away their pension money and abusing alcohol, children also abuse their parents, either by forcefully taking away monthly pension grants or they simply dump their children to be looked after by their elderly parents.
Elifas Ampweya, a senior traditional leader in Uukwaluudhi Traditional Authority, said some children and grandchildren are also abusing the elderly over the N$1100 social grants they receive from the State.
Ampweya says the establishment of old age homes should be treated as a matter of urgency because some elderly people are subjected to gross abuse at home.
“Nowadays elderly people are just alone at homes and those who have grandchildren and children are suffering most, because they will be asked to surrender all their money to them and are often left with nothing. Then they will start crying,” said Ampweya.
Another speaker was Ombalantu Traditional Authority Chief Oswin Mukulu, who also wished that more old age homes would be built in every region as soon as possible in order to save the lives of many elderly people.
He said that nowadays elderly people are dying like flies, because of the way they are treated by their children. “Our elderly people in the communities are being mistreated by their own blood and this can cause high blood pressure” and premature death, said Mukulu.
He said he is thankful to the member of parliament that tabled the motion, saying she has elderly people at heart and understands their plight.
Speaker after speaker said the social grants of pensioners are mostly abused and used to meet young people’s needs, while the pensioners are often left to endure harsh social and economic conditions.
One participant noted that some elderly people are now seen wearing their wedding clothes, because their money is used for the wrong purposes by young and energetic people, who are too lazy to work for themselves.