Officials from the Department of Social Development commemorated International Widows’ Day by engaging in dialogue with widows and other stakeholders at the New Payne Community Hall in Mthatha last week.
One of the widows, Nolitha Nkohla, highlighted the numerous challenges facing widows in her area (New Payne Location). She pointed out that poverty is a significant issue, as many widows who are not employed, previously depended on their husbands for financial support. According to her, even those who are employed and receive an income from their late husbands’ pensions find themselves in a difficult position with the South African Revenue Services (SARS), which claims all that money.
“Each year, during reviews with SARS, you find that you have to repay. You constantly incur debt because they add that money to our basic salaries. This leads to debts with SARS, which is a critical issue and extremely painful. Unfortunately, when a husband passes away, his pension or any dues are already taxed by the government, yet we still face the same problems. It feels as if the government is victimising us,” Nkohla expressed.
She added that it is unclear whether the government is penalising them for being employed. This situation makes it difficult to meet their children’s needs and disqualifies them from receiving grants available to non-working individuals.
“It’s a distressing issue. The government must address this. They have taken portions of our salaries, some of us lost R15 000, the lowest was R6 000, last year,” she lamented.
Another affected individual, Nompumelo Nxonte, shared that she dislikes being labelled a widow as it diminishes their dignity. She explained that the purpose of attending the event was to communicate the challenges they face to the government.
“While your husband is still in the mortuary, you face significant challenges as some people might unjustly accuse you of being responsible for his death. Even the way you are treated changes. When you receive any money, it is taken by your in-laws, leaving you with nothing,” Nxonte explained.
She also noted that sometimes their children turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with the pain of seeing their mother struggle.
Bongie Owusu, Director for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at the National Department of Social Development, mentioned that they had invited stakeholders like SARS to discuss how taxes are calculated for widows, and also address constitutional violations that abuse widows’ rights. “We are also here to motivate them to continue striving even in the absence of their husbands,” Owusu stated.
Bukiwe Fanta, MEC for the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development, emphasised the widespread abuse and struggles faced by widows, describing it as an international issue.
“They are treated poorly and suffer due to the loss of their partners. Some are even accused of murdering their partners. Today, we loudly declare that widows and widowers must be protected and empowered. We urge all government departments to ensure their programmes include clear strategies for empowering widows and widowers,” Fanta declared. She also called on societies to respect women who are left to care for children alone.
