Elderly exploited for pension money in Cape Town townships, finds study

Economic abuse was found to be the most prevalent form of abuse perpetrated against elderly people in Cape Town townships, particularly exploitation of pension money.

This is according to a new study which emphasised the vulnerability of older people in townships due to their socio-economic status and the loss of traditional respect for elders.

Ikamva Labantu’s research on elder abuse found that women are abused more frequently and experience a wider range of abuse compared to men.

Ikamva Labantu is a non-governmental organisation working with Cape Town’s township communities to empower older people since the 1960s.

The organisation’s Older Persons Programme supports 17 senior clubs and has a home-based care programme.

Their research aimed to determine the range of abuse, identify risks and protective factors, assess existing services, and the influence of gender on the abuse of elders. The qualitative study used focus groups with 83 participants over 60 years of age with equal gender representation, and 18 interviewees representing civil society organisations, the police, and provincial departments of Health and Social Development.

A diverse range of abuse was found, mainly perpetrated by victims’ children and grandchildren on whom many of the elderly are dependent.

Abuse is often co-occurring and the study reported, among other forms, serious neglect and systemic abuse.

Substance abuse was the most frequently mentioned risk for elder abuse, specifically tik and alcohol use, which was associated with extreme violence against older people.

Both unemployment and living in multigenerational households increased the risk of elder abuse.

Elder abuse is under-reported and seen as a taboo topic, with older men less likely to report abuse due to fear of repeat victimisation, Ikamva Labantu said. Older women were perceived to be more vulnerable and significantly more likely to experience sexual abuse, including sex trafficking and incestuous rape, as well as spiritual abuse, particularly those with dementia who are accused of witchcraft.

The participants’ suggestions for service improvement included queue management, increasing the deployment of social workers, ensuring the availability of service centres or clubs, and investing in protection services to ensure compliance with policies.

Ikamva Labantu’s Older Persons programme manager Lulama Sigasana said: “Our research sheds some much-needed light on the hidden challenges faced by older people in the townships and the normalisation of abuse. Our seniors told us they are ‘forgotten’.

“They have been politically marginalised with little priority and urgency placed on their needs in comparison to other vulnerable groups.”

Social development MEC Jaco Londt said the research enabled the public to see how grave the issue is.

“The department steps in whenever it receives reports of elder abuse, and provides support services to older persons.

“While the Western Cape is continuously fighting to get our fair share of the national budget to have a broader safety net, it is more important than ever before for us to work with NGOs to find better ways of safeguarding the most vulnerable members of society,” Londt said.

Cape Times