THE Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) will soon begin monitoring visits to older persons’ homes in line with section 243(k) of the Constitution
By STAFF Reporter
Section 243(k) mandates monitoring and inspection of prisons, places of detention, refugee camps and related facilities.
In its August newsletter, ZHRC said it had already monitored places of detention and mental institutions, but had not yet done any monitoring visits to older persons’ homes.
“The ZHR will soon begin visiting older persons’ homes in line with section 243(k) of the constitution,” ZHRC said.
“The Constitution provides for the rights of older persons over the age of 70 years, and section 51, in particular, provides for the right to human dignity which should be respected and protected.”
The human rights body said in June it held stakeholders’ meetings to develop tools for monitoring old people’s homes.
“These captured pertinent issues affecting older persons in homes, in the drafting of the tools. The monitoring visits to older persons’ homes by ZHRC were long overdue although the commission has been to places of detention and mental health institutions as part of its constitutional mandate.”
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On September 1, the Older Persons Act, which was passed way back in 2012, was brought into force through Statutory Instrument 100/2017, which provides for public assistance allowances and other social welfare services to older persons.
Older persons have to first undergo a means-test to screen the applicants to benefit from the social welfare services, but the monthly stipend they get is as little as $20.
