THE Older Persons Board has called on the government to synchronise laws to do with the cut-off point for aged people to ensure uniformity with international standards and the local Constitution.
BY NUNURAI JENA
The call was made by Older Persons Board chairperson, Edwin Murwira, at commemorations of the International Day of the Elderly at Chengetanai People’s home in Chinhoyi last week.
Murwira said there was a lot of confusion over the cut-off point for the aged, with the United Nations pegging it at 60 years, Zimbabwe’s Older Persons Act at 65 years and the Constitution at 70.
“The government should synchronise all that and come up with an age a person is regarded as an older person,” he said.
“We are also fighting the government to come up with a universal pension given to all persons at the attainment of a certain age agreed for their upkeep and not to depend on donations from well-wishers. This is regardless whether one was once a government employee or not,” he said.
Guest of honour, Senate President Edna Madzongwe, said the government, through the Pension Conversion Commission, is trying to compensate all those whose pensions were eroded by dollarisation.
“Pensioners will be fairly compansated for their money that was reduced to cents when the economy was dollarised,” she said.
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Public Service and Social Welfare minister, Prisca Mupfumira appealed to the younger generation to look after their parents instead of confining them to old people’s homes.
Zimbabwe has 29 old people’s homes, with some run by church organisations, trusts and the government.
This year’s commemoration were held under the theme: Take a Stand Against Ageism.
