New Research on Elder Abuse in Cape Town’s Townships Finds Women Especially Vulnerable

Ikamva Labantu releases new research on elder abuse in Cape Town’s townships finding women are abused more frequently and experience a wider range of abuse compared to men. The study emphasised the vulnerability of older people in townships due to their socio-economic status and the loss of traditional respect for elders. This is the first study to assess the risks and protective factors in the township context and to systematically address elder abuse in relation to gender.

The findings were presented at an event on Tuesday, 29 October, where the Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Jaco Londt, gave the keynote address. This research aimed to determine the range of abuse, identify risks and protective factors, assess existing services, and the influence of gender on the abuse of elders.

A diverse range of abuse was found, mainly perpetrated by victims’ children and grandchildren on whom many of the elderly are dependent. Abuse is often co-occurring and this study reported, among other forms, serious neglect and systemic abuse. Economic abuse was found to be the most prevalent, particularly exploitation of pension money.

Substance abuse was the most frequently mentioned risk for elder abuse, specifically tik and alcohol use, which was associated with extreme violence against older people. Both unemployment and living in multigenerational households increased the risk of elder abuse.

Elder abuse is under-reported and seen as a taboo topic, with older men less likely to report abuse due to fear of repeat victimisation. Older women are perceived to be more vulnerable, and significantly more likely to experience sexual abuse, including sex trafficking and incestuous rape, as well as spiritual abuse, particularly those with dementia who are accused of witchcraft. Women more frequently experience economic abuse and unwanted parental burden for grandchildren, resulting in them being relatively more impoverished.

The research evaluated existing protection, social, justice and health services to address elder abuse and assessed the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of services. The study acknowledges budget constraints but generated a set of recommendations
for civil society and government to address the gaps in services and improve the response to elder abuse.

Recommendations include increasing public awareness and empowering older individuals to know their rights, promoting older people’s participation in communities, and strengthening government responses to elder abuse. The participants’ suggestions for service improvement included: queue management, increasing the deployment of social workers, ensuring the availability of service centres or clubs, and investing in protection services to ensure compliance with policies.

Lulama Sigasana, Ikamva Labantu’s Older Persons Programme Manager, says: “Our research sheds some much-needed light on the hidden challenges faced by older people in the townships and the normalisation of abuse. Our seniors told us they are ‘forgotten’. They have been politically marginalised with little priority and urgency placed on their needs in comparison to other vulnerable groups.”

“We are pleased that the research found our senior clubs to be a vital form of social protection for our cherished elders, providing them with respite from abuse, empowering them with knowledge of their rights and facilitating healing family interventions.”

“But there is much more that needs to be done. These unique findings help us to advocate for improved services and enhance support to uphold the principles embodied in the constitution. We believe a multistakeholder approach is needed to tackle elder abuse. We call for civil society organisations and government institutions to work with us in communities so that together we can alleviate the suffering of our elders.”

Jaco Londt, the Western Cape Minister of Social Development, says: “We welcome this groundbreaking research by Ikamva Labantu, because it enables the public to see how grave this issue is. The Western Cape Department of Social Development steps in whenever it receives reports of elder abuse, and provides support services to Older Persons.”

“However, reduced funding from National government has led to a reduction in the kind of services that can be provided. Whilst the Western Cape is continuously fighting to get our fair share of the national budget to have a broader safety net, it is more important than ever before for us to work with NGOs to find better ways of safeguarding the most vulnerable members of society.”

This qualitative study used focus groups with 83 participants over 60 years of age with equal gender representation, and 18 interviewees representing civil society organisations, the South African Police Service (SAPS), and the Western Cape Departments of Health and Social Development. The research by Ikamva Labantu was done in collaboration with The Association for the Aged (TAFTA) and the University of Johannesburg to assess the understudied area of elder abuse in the townships of South Africa.

In South Africa, the number of people over 60 years had been growing steadily prior to the COVID-19 pandemic with older people comprising 9.2 per cent of the South African population in 2023. The townships are affected by high levels of violent crime, accounting for 46.7% of the province’s murders and 28.5% of reported sexual offences in 2021. The township of Khayelitsha, for example, is characterised by a high level of poverty with a significant percentage of informal dwellings (55.4%), unemployment (38%) and low levels of education, with only 30.8% having completed formal schooling.

Ikamva Labantu is a non-governmental organisation working with Cape Town’s township communities and has empowered older people since the 1960s. The organisation’s Older Persons Programme supports 17 senior clubs and has a home-based care programme in the townships.