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Durban – The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will this week visit KwaZulu-Natal to assess human rights issues affecting the elderly and people living with disabilities, it said in a statement on Sunday.
The five-day visit, which was expected to take place between August 15 and 19, would be led by Commissioner Bokankatla Malatji, who is responsible for the portfolio on disability and older persons.
SAHRC spokesperson Wisani Baloyi said complaints received by the commission had highlighted systemic challenges related to the achievement of equality, particularly in relation to the disabled and older persons.
Baloyi said the commission had launched its Older Persons Report in 2015, following investigative hearings into the treatment and abuse of older people.
The report found that the elderly lacked access to adequate health and basic education, suffered from gender discrimination and abuse, and were threatened with economic isolation, with no prospect of securing employment.
"There has also been a decline in the employment figures for persons with disabilities in the public sector. The private sector, on the other hand, has seen an increase in the employment figures for people with disabilities," Baloyi said.
He said the objective of the visit would also be to monitor the compliance of various institutions to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as the Older Persons Act.
