By MILDRED KATONGO –

GROWING old is inevitable and taking care of the aged is a blessing that anyone should never miss.
Today, old people have been neglected and abandoned as can be seen by their increasing numbers on the streets begging for alms.
In our African set up, the aged are to be taken care of by their children. Like the Bemba proverb goes “mayo mpapa naine nkakupapa”.
But this was not the case for an 81-year-old man of Kalulushi who was abandoned by his family and later discovered dead.
Scale Kabeleka was discovered dead by a team of Kalulushi Council health inspectors last week.
It was believed that the old man lived alone in the bush in Donovant area because he was abandoned by his family.
Kalulushi council spokesperson Beauty Undi confirmed that Kabeleka was found dead in a decomposed state in donovant area.
Ms Undi said Kabeleka who was last seen by his relatives during the Easter weekend, was suspected  to have been bitten by a snake.
“After the deceased body was found, we went to inquire from members of the public until we found the relatives who explained that the man went missing after he was bitten by a snake,” she said.
She said the relatives had abandoned him on the pretext that he never wanted to live with anyone.
Ms Undi said once a body was discovered by the local authority in such a state, it was their responsibility to dispose of the remains.
Ms Undi said the council spent K2, 000 to give Mr Kabeleka a decent send off.
She urged members of the public to always take care of the aged because neglecting the old goes against the ‘African way’.
“It is a sad situation to have old people dying because they are abandoned by their families. Everyone will at some point grow old and will need people to take care,” she said.
Ms Undi said Zambians should have a heart for one another and take care of the old people.
She said Zambia was a Christian nation and that people should know that looking out for one another is a blessing.