ANN7 billboard discriminatory: Elderly

The SA Older Persons Forum (SAOPF) has laid a formal complaint against Africa News Network 7 (ANN7), saying a billboard along the N1 near Sandton discriminated against the elderly, Beeld reported on Wednesday.

 

The forum lodged separate complaints with the SA Human Rights Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on Tuesday, saying the television channel advertisement humiliated people and violated the law.

 

On the giant billboard was a picture of an elderly man with the words: "We are not old farts. . . nah, not even our presenters".

 

According to the forum, the wording amounted to abuse of the elderly, in terms of the Older Persons Act of 2006.

 

"Do we old people not have a hard enough time already in our country?" asked Roedolf Kay, national co-ordinator of the forum.

Kay said discrimination against the elderly was a major problem in South Africa.

 

"The [forum] insists that all humiliating advertising material be removed immediately and that apologies be made to all older people in South Africa."

A spokesman for ANN7 did not respond to requests from Beeld for comment.

 

- Sapa