Pretoria - Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the empowerment of older persons, particularly those in rural areas, through access to government services.
Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini, who on Tuesday met with representatives of the South African Older Persons Forum (SAOPF) and Blacksash in Cape Town, told the stakeholders that government is increasingly seeking to enhance the effectiveness of its service delivery to older persons through creative partnerships with civil society organisations.
"Last year, we experienced tragic incidents at old age homes, which resulted in the loss of human life. We must work together to ensure that such incidents do not happen again," said Dlamini.
She also expressed concerns about some old age homes, which are supposed to provide a caring and protective environment for older persons.
"We also urge NGOs that are funded by government to offer services to older persons, to utilize the funds we allocate to them for the intended purpose," she said.
Department officials responsible for older persons have been instructed to develop a consistent and sustainable programme for active ageing, which will allow older persons to participate in the affairs of society on a constant basis.
This will include programmes aimed at instilling positive moral values, especially to children growing in child-headed households, as well as other intergenerational initiatives aimed at social cohesion.
During a meeting with stakeholders, a variety of issues were raised, including matters relating to the conduct of various service providers who have been contracted to pay out social grants on behalf of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).
Dlamini promised to convene a meeting between the department, stakeholders, SASSA as well as the service providers in a quest to address the concerns.
Other issues included coordination of older persons' programmes at local level, establishment of older persons' forums, monitoring of quality of care in residential facilities, access to social grants, employment of personnel in residential facilities and other government services.
