After giving the best years of their lives in service to society, most senior citizens are forced to fend for themselves as they battle financial, physical, and emotional abuse. Since most of the abuse is perpetrated in the home, out of public scrutiny, most of the victims suffer in silence and do not know who to reach out to for help. It was with this in mind that the City of Johannesburg’s Citizen Relationship and Urban Management (CRUM) in Region D, Soweto, embarked on a rights education drive at the Diepkloof Welfare Centre on Friday, 13 October 2023.

Introducing officials from the Department of Justice, CRUM’s Nomvula Dlame highlighted the difficulties the elderly experience daily now that they were in the twilight of their lives.

“Most of the elderly in Soweto in particular and around the country are battling to stretch the rand as a result of a myriad of issues, including looking after grandchildren that have been dumped on their doorsteps.

“In extreme cases, some of your children forcefully take your South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) cards and withhold your old age grants. Some of them do not hand over the child grant they receive even though you are the one looking after their offsprings,” said Dlame to about 150 senior citizens in Zone 1 Diepkloof.

Before sharing what she does at the Master of High Court in Protea, Soweto, Ella Motshepe got the elderly to stand up and swing their bodies to a popular religious hymn.

Motshepe urged senior citizens to reach out to her office based at the Protea Magistrate’s Court on matters related to deceased estates, wills, and the rounding up of estates.

She mentioned the Free Wills Week that occurs every year in September during which people are helped to write wills free of charge.

“There is also a huge difference between a Letter of Authority and a Letter of Executorship, which boils down to the value of the assets in the deceased’s estate. If the value is below R250 000, then you can get a Letter of Authority from the Master of the High Court that gives you the power to wind up the deceased estate. Anything above R250 000 requires a Letter of Executorship,” said Motshepe.

Both Queen Mtowindini and Vuyo Mphotwana from the Children’s Court taught senior citizens about their rights around looking after grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

​They spoke about protection orders, which the court can grant against a child from the age of 14 if they harass the elderly

“We’ve had cases where a lot of mothers disappear with the child grant card and force grandparents to make do with the little old age grant to look after their grandchildren. You can approach the Children’s Court for assistance in applying for a foster care grant and adoption rights,” said Mphotwana.

The workshop ended with a request from Dlame to the elderly to shout for help and not suffer in silence.

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