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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
On the giant billboard was a picture of an elderly man with the words: “We are not old farts. . . nah, not even our presenters”.<\/p>\n
According to the forum, the wording amounted to abuse of the elderly, in terms of the Older Persons Act of 2006.<\/p>\n
“Do we old people not have a hard enough time already in our country?” asked Roedolf Kay, national co-ordinator of the forum.<\/p>\n
Kay said discrimination against the elderly was a major problem in South Africa.<\/p>\n
“The [forum] insists that all humiliating advertising material be removed immediately and that apologies be made to all older people in South Africa.”<\/p>\n
A spokesman for ANN7 did not respond to requests from Beeld for comment.<\/p>\n
ANN7 videos disappearing explained<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n