Showing love and care to seniors
Tsakane – Thousands of South Africans set out to visit various beneficiaries in their communities to celebrate Mandela Day, and Tsakane Old Age Home was no exception.
The seniors received a visit from the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre, Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS), Gauteng Legislature and local government officials.
These groups dedicated their 67 minutes to interacting with the seniors, and also donated food, blankets and shoes in honour of Nelson Mandela.
Deputy speaker of the Gauteng Legislature, Uhuru Moiloa said they visited the home to extend Mandela’s love, care and appreciation of the elderly for the role they played in building a democratic South Africa.
“These are the elderly who voted in 1994 for the first time and who carried the burden of apartheid, hence we need to show them appreciation,” he explained.
“They paid their taxes through cheap labour and have now retired. Others are now poor and without families, so this is our way of showing them some love and care.
“All the items donated will help to relieve the centre of its budget constraints.”
MMC for Community Safety Vivian Chauke said this was their way of ensuring the elderly are taken care of.
“Nelson Mandela loved children and the elderly and he wanted to build a united nation, so we are carrying on with his vision,” she said.
Phoko Mokubung, manager at the home, expressed their joy and said they were honoured that these groups visited them.
“This shows we are doing our best and the donations we have received will definitely go a long way in providing relief for us,” he said.
“We are grateful on behalf of the elderly, as we have 30 of them who stay here.”
Mokubung added that the centre would love to work together with the community, as they are always in need of help, as some of the residents have no family.
DEMS spokesman William Ntladi says most of the seniors don’t have families, hence they assisted them.
“It feels great to show some love to them, as it makes them happy, even if it’s just for a day,” he explained.
“In addition to this, we will be assisting with training them to avoid fire emergencies at the home,” said Ntladi.
