Older persons appeal for protection

THEZambia Aged People Association (ZAPA) has called on the government to consider implementing what is in the National Ageing Policy of May 2015 and translate it into law.

ZAPA National Secretary, Cyprian Pombolokani, said it was important that the policy was translated into law so that the aged did not feel neglected in any way.

The policy, according to Mr Pombolokani, emphasises the need to protect the older persons in society and also to inckude them in development agenda.

He noted that older persons in society were often times victimized and abused unfairly.

Mr Pombolokani said ZAPA felt that the older persons could still contribute to national development of the country, especially if they were brought together in one common purpose.

He was speaking when he officiated at the launch of the ZAPA Masaiti branch on the Copperbelt.

"The association feels that the aged people are neglected by both families and society and we feel they need to be rehabilitated and integrated into society by encouraging them that they can still contribute to the national development by involving them in entrepreneurship.

"The plight of the aged people need to be addressed in accordance with the United Nations resolution 46 of 1991 which calls for all member states to uplift the living standards of the older persons," he said.

Mr Pombolokani further called on the government to consider increasing the social cash transfer amount for the aged.

He observed that the current amount was inadequate and had no capacity to give inputs but only lobby for the inputs from the government and donors.

He appealed to all District Commissioners across the country to help and support in growing the association in their districts.

Mr Pombolokani said so far, ZAPA has more than 10, 000 members on the Copperbelt alone.