The Durban Association for the Aged’s Associations Executive Committee is currently in meetings with the Department of Social Development to discuss accusations of mistreating of the aged.
Members of the ‘Concerned Senior Citizens’ group want the president and board members of the Durban Association for the Aged (DAFTA) to step down. The president and board members of DAFTA, an organisation that caters for the aged, which in the past was known for its sterling work to provide valuable needed services to senior citizens, are accused of mistreating the aged.
According to the president of DAFTA, Krish Govender, they are committed to permitting due process to unfold.
“DAFTA shares a service level agreement with the Department and will account for this structure and assure the public that the affairs of DAFTA are in order. A public notice will be issued upon completion of all dialogue with the Department of Social Development. The ‘Concerned Senior Citizens’ have been invited to meet with ExCo to discuss their challenges and to find a way forward. The group’s spokesperson stated via email that his team did not deem it necessary to meet with ExCo,” he said.
Barry Kanni, member of the Concerned Senior Citizen’s group, handed a memorandum to the Manager of DAFTA, Cheryl Naidoo, at the placard demonstration which was held, last week.
He said: “The DAFTA Centre in Merebank exists to provide comfort and security for our seniors and such inhumane actions are going against the core function of the organisation. A social worker should be a
custodian and advocate for senior citizens but instead, the Manager was instrumental in such abusive treatment of the senior citizens.
“Our mothers and fathers contributed to the economy of this country, they helped put food on our table, leaving us a legacy of hope, prosperity, success, and a better life. Let us not allow their human rights to be violated. We call on the president and board members who have captured DAFTA to resign with immediate effect or to be removed from their positions so that good, clean governance can be re-established in the organisation. Let us protect our seniors from further abuse at the hands of those who fail them.”
