Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has urged all South Africans to take Older Persons Week seriously and mark it with dignity and respect for older persons.
In a statement issued ahead of Sunday’s official launch, Zuma said the week will be observing the rights and dignity of a generation of older persons who were affected by the country's troubled past.
“They lived through troubled times, worked hard and raised their children and grandchildren and cared for families as best as they could. The majority were denied decent education. They were forcibly removed from their homes and suffered immeasurable loss but they survived. We are glad they contributed so positively to the South Africa we live in today," said President Zuma.
Older Persons Week will be observed from 30 September until 6 October 2013.
Key milestones during that week will be the celebration of the International Day of Older Persons on 1 October, a day designated by the United Nations in 1990. Another will be Grandparents Day which is celebrated on 6 October.
To mark the week, government departments led by the Department of Social Development will host various dialogues and events to promote a better life for older persons in various ways.
President Zuma will kick start national celebrations and dialogues that will focus on the role, rights and wellbeing of older persons in society on Sunday when he hosts a party for older persons from all nine provinces to highlight under the theme: “The future we want, what older persons say".
Zuma said the country will use the week to acknowledge the critical contribution that older persons have made in the development of South Africa.
“Older Persons Week should be used to speak to and listen to older persons. They have a wealth of knowledge, expertise, potential and wisdom. They should therefore be able to live in dignity free from any exploitation and abuse, and with their rights upheld," urged President Zuma. – SAnews.gov.za
