Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
THE Government has donated food hampers and various goods to over 2 000 elderly people in Maphisa, Matabeleland South Province.
The donations were made by Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, Edgar Moyo, during the International Day of Older Persons commemorations in Maphisa, where he addressed hundreds of older people.
The minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening social protection policies and putting into action the provisions and demands of the Older Persons Act.
He urged citizens to honour, protect and respect older persons, ensuring that they age with dignity, grace and the care they deserve.
The food hampers included mealie-meal, sugar, soap, cooking fat, salt, drinks and many other essential items.
Handing over the hampers, Minister Moyo urged communities across the country to protect older persons from all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and abandonment.
“Let us strengthen reporting, referral and community protection systems. Chiefs, community leaders, churches, social workers and the police have huge roles to play,” said Minister Moyo.
The 2026 United Nations International Day of Older Persons, held under the theme “The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives”, calls on Governments, civil society, the private sector, researchers and older persons themselves to examine how societies can ensure that the additional years gained translate into healthy, productive, dignified and equitable lives for all.
On December 14, 1990, the United Nations General Assembly designated October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons (resolution 45/106).
This was preceded by initiatives such as the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing, which was adopted by the 1982 World Assembly on Ageing and endorsed later that year by the UN General Assembly.
In 1991, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Principles for Older Persons (resolution 46/91). In 2002, the Second World Assembly on Ageing adopted the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, to respond to the opportunities and challenges of population ageing in the 21st century and to promote the development of a society for all ages.
The number of older people (defined as those aged 65 years or older) tripled from around 260 million in 1980 to 761 million in 2021.
Between 2021 and 2050, the global share of the older population is projected to increase from less than 10 percent to around 17 percent.
Rapid growth in the number of people reaching older ages underscores the significance of promoting health, preventing, and treating illnesses throughout the entire course of life.
