Elderly people - black and white - should be allowed to live their remaining years in peace and dignity.

Elderly people - black and white - should be allowed to live their remaining years in peace and dignity.

But sadly the reality today is that pensioners battle to survive under the most difficult conditions. The high cost of living, inadequate retirement homes and the meagre state social grants contribute to a sub-standard existence.

Worse, condemning the aged to inferior facilities because of their colour not only adds to their indignity but is illegal in terms of our Constitution.

Thus, reports of racial segregation at the Pieter Wessels Old Age Home in Nigel, Ekurhuleni, where black elderly residents live in separate and unequal conditions, are very disturbing.

Providing separate facilities for different racial groups is unacceptable - as is management's casual attitude towards such a serious matter. For management to pretend that separate - but unequal - facilities are a matter of choice, is rather disingenuous.

This cannot be allowed to go unchecked - 14 years into our democracy.

Those behind the state of affairs at the home should hang their heads in shame.

We hope this matter is investigated urgently.