Police hand over whistles to the elderly
Senior citizens were advised to use the whistles as tools to ward off crimes against them, especially abuse.
One hundred and forty Memeza whistles were handed over to the elderly women of Bekkersdal and Simunye by the Bekkersdal Police and the Gauteng Department of Community Safety on Tuesday, 28 August at the Simunye Community Hall.
This was during a safety outreach programme that aimed to advise elderly citizens about abuse. The Gauteng Department of Community Safety advised the residents to always ensure they carry the whistles everywhere they go, to ward off crime. Residents were advised to use the whistles as tools to expose abuse in the community.
Different stakeholders such as SASSA, Rand West City Traffic, and the Gauteng Department of Health also addressed a variety of issues affecting the elderly, especially in informal settlements.
Colonel Tinus Swart, station commander of the Bekkersdal Police delivered a keynote address in which he encouraged victims to be empowered and seek help from all the organisations that were in attendance.
Swart also warned the senior citizens of the loans sharks who are taking advantage of them. He said it is illegal for people to leave their Sassa cards in the hands of the loan sharks.
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