The Department of Community Safety is urging the community to look after their elders.
Busi Kheswa from the department of community safety said that elderly people are supposed to be the most treasured people in the community.
“These vulnerable beings are being targeted by those that commit heinous crimes, they prey on the defenceless. Elders are now subjected to horrific crimes, sometimes committed by those that they have nurtured. Grandchildren continue to abuse their grandparents emotionally, financially and sometimes even physically,” she said.
Kheswa said that the community needs to stand together and protect their elders.
“To address this problem that has befallen our senior citizens, the Gauteng Department of Community Safety is in the process of rolling out elderly desks across all regions in the province.
“These desks are community based structures for senior citizens in distress.
“They also serve as a platform for them to discuss issues that affect them.
“It is through them that senior citizens will begin to open up on issues they face behind closed doors, to share their frustrations and concerns with their peer group and also encourage them to open cases about any type of abuse they encounter,” she said.
