The Impact of the Old Age Grant on Rural Households in Nkonkobe Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Violation of Human Rights of Older Persons in South Africa. The Case of Lavela Old Age Centre, Ntselamanzi, Eastern Cape Province, South Affrica

“…This is effected through the Social Assistance Act of 2004 and associated regulations that provide the legal framework for the administration of seven social grants, the old age grant being one of them (South Africa Social Security Agency, 2010). The government had bestowed the responsibility of administering these grants to the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA, 2010) (Tangwe & Gutura, 2013;South Africa Social Security Agency, 2010).…”

“…Almost a third of all South Africans receive grants as their only source of income. It then follows that, as most elderly individuals also fall into the category of the poor, they most probably do not have any other source of income (Tangwe & Gutura, 2013). Many elderly people have to rely on their children, grandchildren or a caregiver to buy them food and other necessities.…”

“…They also contribute to the achievement of the country's goal of redistribution of resources, especially to the black majority, who found themselves in dire economic circumstances in the apartheid era (Kang'ethe, Mulwayini & Manomano, 2015;Potts, 2011). Importantly, the grants offer the recipients an opportunity to sustain themselves as they make their way through the muddy and murky waters of life (Tangwe & Gutura, 2013). Currently, approximately 6 million elderly South Africans have access to the grant (SASSA, 2010).…”

“…Despite the United Nations not adopting a standard criterion for inclusion in the older person category, generally, from age 60 onwards is used to refer to the older population (Bohman, Van Wyk & Ekman, 2009). While most countries in the developed world have accepted the chronological age of 65 years as an acceptable definition of an older person, developing countries peg the criterion with the age at which one can begin to receive pension benefits (Tangwe & Gutura, 2013).…”

“…Despite the United Nations not adopting a standard criterion for inclusion in the older person category, generally, from age 60 onwards is used to refer to the older population (Bohman, Van Wyk & Ekman, 2009). While most countries in the developed world have accepted the chronological age of 65 years as an acceptable definition of an older person, developing countries peg the criterion with the age at which one can begin to receive pension benefits (Tangwe & Gutura, 2013).Despite the phenomenon of aging presenting both perfidious and pernicious circumstances, many researchers underscore the older person's contribution to society (Madonsela, 2008;Lombard and Kruger, 2009), with caregiving, counselling and advisory services, inter alia, being key roles. In many African societies older people constitute the council of elders and society expects them to steer their communities onto the right path (Kang'ethe & Rhakudu, 2010).…”