BULAWAYO Proportional Representative legislator, Thokozani Khupe, has urged the government to take action to protect elderly citizens from the harsh effects of the country’s economic crisis.
Khupe said there was a need for deliberate interventions that prioritised the welfare of senior citizens and ensuring they had access to good healthcare services.
“As Members of Parliament, we have a duty to urge the government to prioritise the welfare of senior citizens as they require more medical attention since they are mostly vulnerable to a lot of illnesses,” Khupe said in an interview with Southern Eye.
“They have little money and private hospitals require a lot of money which has made them more vulnerable due to lack of medical attention.”
Khupe said government should also set aside a budget for the construction of more old people’s homes to shelter senior citizens with no relatives to take care of them.
“Currently there are senior citizens who are being neglected and are enduring suffering as they do not have anyone looking after them. They stay with their children who are underage making the situation worse,” she said.
“They should be treated with respect as they once worked for the development of the country during their working days.”
The National Social Security Authority is supposed to be a safety net for pensioners but the monthly payouts cannot sustain the life of a single beneficiary.
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After spending their youthful years working in the public service; rendering the nation the much needed workforce; the elderly retirees battle for survival in a fast dwindling economy.
With the sharp rise in the cost of basic foodstuffs, it is a daily struggle to survive hence some pensioners have become destitute.
