Elderly man forcefully dragged out of public office for seeking information
MOUTSE – The Limpopo Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development office in Sempupuru, Moutse, outside Groblersdal came under residents’ attack following an incident in which a security guard dragged an 83 year-old pensioner out of the offices after the elderly allegedly tried to explain to an official his reasons for visiting the building.
Eyewitnesses said the 83 year-old Mpeku Mashego from Ntwane Village’s Malaeneng Section in Dennilton was on Monday at about 9am forcefully dragged out of the offices by a security guard following his reaction to a “rude official who would not furnish him information he needed on farming”.
Mashego said he had always harboured dreams and ambitions of venturing into dairy farming all his life and that pushed him to approach the office to seek more information.
He said it was that undying passion for farming and the belief that one was never too old live their dreams that propelled him to visit that Department of Agriculture office in Sempupuru where his trouble began.
“A worker known only as Mosibudi was rude and disrespectful to me and did not even try and listen to what I was saying. I was told to stop being a nuisance and go home. As I tried to plead my case, a security guard came and dragged me out of the building,” explained Mashego.
Seun Mogotji, a community leader, lambasted the incident and said it was shameful that an 83 year-old pensioner was bullied by a security guard as per instruction of a government employee “who got paid to do absolutely nothing”.
Mogotji questioned the existence of the office in Sempupuru if it did not render the services for which it was established in the first place.
“Now our pensioners are being disrespected and bullied for simply seeking information. Surely someone must answer to this,” said Mogotji.
The community leader said the treatment meted out against the elderly Mashego epitomized the mess that the public office bearers have become.
He added that Mashego’s case was surely just an isolated case of many that are never reported and that they expected nothing but swift action and appropriate steps to be taken against those who infringed on the elderly’s human rights and dignity.
Limpopo DALRRD’s Joshua Kwapa confirmed that he received the papers’ query on Tuesday and promised to work on it and get back to the paper. However, Kwapa had not responded at the time of going to press on Wednesday, 19 May 2021, morning.
Sekhukhune Times assures to communicate the department’s response as soon as it is made available.
