Zimbabwe to introduce the Old People's Act

The Zimbabwe PARLIAMENT has passed the Old People's Bill that will see old people getting Government grants and other preferential economic and social benefits and is waiting for the President Robert Mugabe to append his signature so that it becomes an Act of Parliament.

The cut off age is 65 years.

In an interview last week, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare committee member, Mr Amos Chibaya, said the committee was happy that the Bill was passed in Parliament is waiting for the President to append his signature so that it becomes law.

He said the process started some months ago when the committee embarked on a countrywide campaign aimed at gathering views of the old people on what they felt should be included in the bill.

He said it was sad that old people were not benefiting from the Government and that there was no law protecting them giving an impression that getting old was a crime. Mr Chibaya added that it was their hope that old people above the age of 65 years who would have retired and those that were not employed get grants from the Government as well as getting exempted from queuing and paying fares in public transport.

"We are happy that the bill has been passed in Parliament and once the President appends his signature it becomes an Act. We worked hard gathering the views of the old people and our efforts have been rewarded. We felt there was need for them inputting in the older persons' bill. We hope the Government will seriously look into their concerns and we are pushing that they get a grant every month. It had come to our attention that as long as there is no law protecting them, they will continue living miserably and at the mercy of young and capable people.

"That Government has not been able to protect old people through a piece of legislation gave the sad impression that growing old is a crime. They have been enjoying social benefits offered to them voluntarily by other people where at times they get preferential treatment in banks and other queues and we are saying let's make them rights not privileges," he said.

He said they were pushing that old people in towns be exempted from paying water and electricity bills saying if that was not possible, they should be asked to pay a nominal fee.

Mr Chibaya said it was the committee's submission in the bill that old people be exempted from paying hospital bills and be given food aid under separate programmes. He said it was the duty of Government to ensure its vulnerable senior citizens were protected as they were valuable to the country's well being adding that the law was long overdue.

He said the committee was well aware of Treasury's difficult financial position but said once it becomes an Act there would be budgetary allocations for that purpose.

Mr Chibaya said concerns raised by the old people were that they were made to queue with young and able bodied people for service in public offices and in banking halls. They also said they were being made to pay huge medical bills even in Government hospitals when a good majority of them were not working but were looking after orphans who they were sending to school.

"It is quite sad that some of the our old people are now working as house maids and herd boys as they try to make ends meet, get some money to send their orphaned grandchildren to school and money for medical bills. It is quite pathetic how some of the old people are living and we are simply asking Government to play its part," said Mr Chibaya.