Easing of lockdown relief to the elderly

The Mossel Bay Older Persons’ Forum (MBOPF), an initiative of the Mossel Bay Municipality (Community Serices), is the collective voice of people 60 years and older.

It works together with the Western Cape Older Persons’ Forum (WCOPF) and the Department of Social Development (DSD).

MBOPF sub-committees have been established in each municipal ward to encourage older persons and senior clubs to care for each other, to be each other’s eyes, ears, hands and feet and to be active in the community

Also vital entities of the MBOPF are the service centres and the residents and staff of the residential centres, ably supported by Marlize Kotze from the Department of Social Development (DSD).

“The national state of disaster and resulting lockdown came with challenges for older persons,” says the MBOPF’s Gregory Mitchell.

“For those in residential centres and old age homes, loneliness, together with restricted movement, wasn’t easy. The impact of those who were affected by Covid-19 and those who passed away, was the cause of emotional strain for many.”

With the ease of regulations and protocol requirements, centres took up various activities.

“The service centres are involved with soup kitchens, ensuring food security within their communities,” Mitchell explains.

Some of the older persons had to deal with their children and families moving into their already compact homes, as a result of unemployment. “This brought a challenge of food security and the strain on the costs of utilities, many depending solely on their SASSA payout.”

Lockdown level 1, allowing the older persons to gather, has enabled the MBOPF to visit a few communities.

“We experienced good attendance and a renewed interest and expectation. We want older persons to be able to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and association as well as their right to community life and to serve, and the right of access to education and training programmes, as well as their right to cultural, spiritual and recreational facilities.

“We are so thankful for concerned members of the community, churches and organisations who have been involved in alleviating the plight of many,” says Mitchell.

For more information, visit www.facebook. com/groups/mosselbayolderpersonsforum/; https://t.me/olderpersons or https://www. facebook.com/WCOlderPersonsForum.

Members of the Mossel Bay Junior Town Council elected their executive committee on 17 April at the municipal buildings in Hartenbos. The election took place in the presence of facilitators from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). The executive committee: (front) speaker Rian Cilliers (Point High School), mayor Eileen Swanepoel (Point High), deputy mayor Ethan-John Carstens (Curro Mossel Bay), (back) executive member: youth Amanda Mkize (Hillcrest Secondary School), municipal manager Zandri van Greunen (Curro Mossel Bay), executive member: sport Duwin Scholtz (Sao Bras High), executive member: community services Quinlynn Kannemeyer (Hillcrest). Masks were removed for taking of the group photograph. All Covid-19 protocol were observed otherwise.