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Deputy Minister Thembi Siweya presents parcels to one of the elderly women in Olifantshoek. 

Deputy Minister interacts with elderly people

 

As part of the Mandela Month programme, the deputy minister in the Presidency, Ms Thembi Siweya, interacted with elderly people from Olifantshoek in Vhembe on Monday.

She was joined by officials from the Limpopo Department of Health, who brought along a mobile clinic, optometry services and dentists to provide dental health services to more than 200 elderly people. SASSA also assisted the elderly to confirm their pensions and apply, while the Department of Home Affairs assisted them with ID applications.

"We want to bring services closer to the people. I encourage all of you to be screened and to look after your health," Siweya said. She also handed over blankets to the elderly as part of the broader efforts to encourage society to care and support them. "Many of these elderly people have raised responsible and professional citizens. They have also resiliently battled poverty and are often violated by the very same children and community," Siweya said.

She said that the visit was intended to galvanise communities to treat the elderly with respect and dignity. "Elderly people need love, appreciation and respect. Most of these elderly people complain of being robbed of their pensions and being raped, which is why, as the Presidency, they felt the need to show them love. Senior citizens, especially in rural areas, are neglected," she said.

News - Date: 27 July 2019

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Elderly people came in their numbers to meet Deputy Minister Thembi Siweya in Olifantshoek.

 

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Mbulaheni Ridovhona

The 22-year-old Mbulaheni (Gary) Ridovhona has been passionate about journalism to the extent that he would buy himself a copy of weekly Univen students' newsletter, Our Voice. After reading, he would write stories about his rural village, Mamvuka, and submit them to the very newsletter for publication. His deep-rooted love for words and writing saw him register for a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies at the University of Venda, and joined the Limpopo Mirror team in February 2016 as a journalism intern.

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