Ahead of the elections set to take place on 1 November 2021, Tafta (The Association for The Aged) is calling on local government bodies to prioritise the elderly.

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The organisation highlighted the need to promote active ageing and improve service delivery to the aged. According to Tafta the population of older people is growing, with the global average life expectancy forecasted in 2019 as 72,6 years old. The United Nations (UN) has confirmed that this is the highest global average yet, indicating that a shift in the distribution of a country’s population towards older ages is currently underway. Femada Shamam, CEO of Tafta, said that the Covid-19 pandemic had thrown a global spotlight on the vulnerability of the elderly population group in the context of the pandemic’s fatality impact, but that the plight of the elderly was not yet fully understood.

“While both children and elders are classified as vulnerable groups, the elderly are often forgotten as being at-risk, unprotected and in need of assistance. This is largely due to the assumption created that provision is made by an individual for the later stages of their life during early and middle adulthood. However, this is not the case as only 6% of South Africans are estimated to retire comfortably. The increased life expectancy, as well as reduced savings, directly contributes to this figure,” explained Shamam.

Tafta thus encourages local governments to deliver on their promises of creating safe and healthy environments, promoting social and economic development, and providing sustainable services with the elderly in mind. The organisation has identified a need for an elder-friendly indigent policy that offers concessions toward utilities such as basic food and transportation and increased right to participate in outdoor and community spaces, and a necessity to improve preferred access to public spaces such as shopping malls and parking bays. Tafta has identified these needs through a recent surge in applications for accommodation and requests for counselling sessions.

“While community living in aged care facilities such as Tafta reduces isolation and depression, elders still have the right and an increasing need for meaningful participation in public society to encourage active ageing and socialisation. Local government can play a pivotal role in creating an enabling environment for all elders to live and flourish,” Shamam said.

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