By Ruth Chinangwa
Malawi Network of Older persons organisation (MANEPO) in collaboration with Women Lawyers Association have demanded that the TONSE alliance government should provide a clear direction on the protection of older persons in the country as they continue facing various atrocities over baseless allegations.
The duo made the remarks yesterday in Blantyre during a press briefing they organized as one way of sending a message on the badness of abusing the elderly in the country.
Addressing the media Executive Director for MANEPO Andrew Kavala noted with concern that senior citizens continue facing abuse despite government’s promises to protect them.
For this reason MANEPO and WLA have demanded that President Lazarus Chakwera should institute a National task force that will oversee the protection of the elderly aiming at curbing the malpractice across the country just like other minority groups.
He further expressed concern that Malawi out of other 96 countries across the globe cannot provide a safe place for elderly according to a 2015 Global Age Watch Index report despite being among countries that signed the Universal declaration of Human rights which stipulates that no one will be subjected to any form of torture among others.
On this note Kavala has asked the TONSE Alliance government to walk their talk on what they promised Malawians to protect the senior citizens of the country.
However as one way of sending a message to the masses and those in decision making positions MANEPO and WLA have organized national peaceful protests in an effort to pressurize government to institute a taskforce which will ensure older persons protection scheduled for 13th November this year.
The development has come barely days after a gruesome murder has happened in Dedza in which a 70year old woman was stoned to death over witchcraft suspicion.
Currently the supreme law of the land does not recognize the existence of witchcraft. This year alone 8 older men and women have been killed over the allegations in question.
