was very touched when the Ma lawi Human Rights Commission issued a statement on the commemoration of elderly people. The commission raised concerns over the reported increase in the number of older persons killed because of witchcraft accusations and other forms of violence. For sure this warning continues to serve as a call to the nation on the need care and protect the elderly.
We can not dispute that cases of v iol ence, property-grabbing, neglect, witchcraft accusations and social exclusion continue to occur national wide. And these incidents raise serious questions whether existing laws are providing the protection older persons deserve.
The Older Persons Act was a welcome step towards protecting the rights, dignity and wel l-being of older people, but, the continued attacks show that passing a law is not enough. The real test lies on implementation, funding and enforcement to make a difference in the lives of the old people.
The continued killings of older persons linked to witchcraft accusations are deeply concerning and demand urgent, coordinated actions. These attacks expose the vulnerability of older people and highlight the need for stronger protection, effective law enforcement and accountability to ensure that perpetrators are not only brought to justice, but with speed.
Behind ever y reported case is a human life lost or traumatised, a grieving family and a community left in pain. Older persons, particularly women, face heightened vulnerability to witchcraft accusations and violence because of their age, gender, poverty and social position. In some cases, malicious rumours escalate into brutal attacks, property-grabbing and death, stripping them of their dignity, security and right to live peacefully. These abuses are not merely harmful traditional practices, they are serious human rights violations we must all stand and say NO to!
And one of the biggest cha l l enges is impunity. We have seen perpetrators wa l ki ng f reely mak i ng many believe that attacking older persons carries little risk. Casual and delayed pol i ce responses, weak investigations, fear among witnesses and reliance on informal traditional approach has fur ther undermined justice for the elderly. We must fight this impunity. Civil society organisations where are you?
Again, the implementation of the Older Persons Act also requires more attention. Concerns raised about delays in establishing structures intended to coordinate i m p l emen t a t i o n a n d questions about funding must be addressed. It is time we looked at these arrangements for with no adequate resources, this well-intended legislation will have limited impact.
Promoti ng sustained community education to challenge harmful beliefs and prevent violence against older persons is another priority. Traditional and religious leaders, who are key actors, local authorities and CSOs have all roles to play in educating communities to understand that illness, death or misfortune is not automatically attributed to witchcraft.
Remember these days we are facing a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, which are known as NCDs, coming in forms of cancer, diabetes, hyper tension, cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, chronic respiratory diseases and kidney disease. These conditions have recognised medical causes and risk factors, such as tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. These are mostly leading us to sudden illness or death. Sadly, lack of reliable health information and medical understanding has led many of us to blame older persons for these illnesses and deaths. Our focus also must include enhancing health education and the need for urgent access to medical services to challenge misinformation, save lives and protect vulnerable older persons from witchcraft-related attacks.
We must all be committed as the protection of older persons is a shared responsibility, with government leading in ensuring effective enforcement and accountability. The Human Rights Commission has rightly drawn attention to a serious human rights violation. We applaud you for that.
Let us move beyond having a law on paper to ensuring that older persons enjoy real protection. The success of the Older Persons Act will be measured not by its existence, but by whet h er ol d e r Malawians can be protected, live safely, access justice, grow old and die with dignity
