SWAZILAND: Indlovukazi to Grace boGogo, boMkhulu on Elderly Day

MBABANE, Swaziland (The Swazi Observer), September 30, 2007: Her Majesty the Indlovukazi is expected to grace the commemoration of the International Day of the elderly to be held next Wednesday at the Kubuta constituency. This was confirmed by Kubuta MP Njabulo Mabuza who is also Minister of Health and Social Welfare as well as the Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organisations (CANGO). The International Day of the Elderly falls on October 1 according to CANGO but Swaziland will be commemorating it on October 3. On this day, according to CANGO, they will spend the day with the elderly, listening to their concerns and assist them in whatever way possible. This will be done through the institutions NGOs dealing with issues of the elderly; Umtfunti Wemaswati and Philani Maswati who will be joined by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The social welfare department of the Ministry, and NGOs are concerned about the plight of the elderly and are interested in finding solutions to alleviating their suffering. Most elderly people are unable to fend for themselves due to loss of earnings. This makes them entirely dependent on their next of kin. Lack of sufficient rain has affected their (elderly) opportunities in agricultural work, which is a source of livelihood for most elderly Swazis. HIV and AIDS has also left old people to shoulder the responsibility of looking after their own sick children. Then they have to look after their grandchildren when their children die. The challenges they have to grapple with on a daily basis are extremely daunting in the face of the food shortages. All Swazis are encouraged to make a pledge to doing something towards ensuring that elderly people have better lives. The elderly are the greatest resource any nation can boast of, said CANGO. By Njabulo Dlamini Copyright: The Swazi Observer