MASVINGO — Labour and Social Services minister Paurina Mpariwa was this week told many old people’s homes were so broke inmates’ bodies were “rotting” in mortuaries because of lack of money to bury them.
Mucheke Old People’s Home administrator David Phiri told the minister — who was in the company of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai — that life had become so hard for Zimbabwe’s senior citizens that it was getting almost impossible to even give them decent burials.
Officials at the home reported that inmates had, without notice, their $15 monthly allowances from government stopped since January and life had become tough for the senior citizens.
“The inmates have not received their monthly allowances since January.
“We have difficulties in paying our bills, bodies of deceased inmates sometimes decompose at the mortuary due to lack of money to foot burial expenses,” said Phiri.
Mpariwa immediately assured the inmates she would forward a Bill designed to improve their lot to Cabinet for ratification as soon as she could. Responding to the issue of non-payment of allowances, the minister said government was broke, but she would ensure the allowances were resumed immediately.
“Ever since we adopted the multi-currency regime, it was difficult to process the money as government is broke. But we have started disbursement of the allowances and very soon you will get your January to March allowances,” she said.
“We will be agitating for policies and programmes that will cater for the elderly, most of whom are dumped at old people’s homes with little or no assistance from relatives.”
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PM Tsvangirai responded by donating blankets to the home.
Mpariwa also pledged to source food and clothes for many old people’s homes dotted around the country.
She said beneficiaries would be 65 years and above.
