​It was singing and ululation as older persons took part in the Gauteng Older Persons Choir Festival hosted by Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD) at Dlamini Community Hall in Soweto.
The provincial festival is one of the activities planned to celebrate the Social Development and the Older Persons Month. Choirs which emanate from various local senior citizens and luncheon clubs, are one of the key active ageing programs which afford older persons an opportunity to showcase their abilities to enable them to participate in society in accordance with their basic rights, needs, capacities and preferences.

The Regional Choir Festival are a build-up platform in preparation for the provincial event.

October is declared the Social Development Month as it coincides with the Older Persons Week and Commemoration of the International Day of Older Persons on 01 October as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in accordance with Resolution 45/106.

The Older Persons week is commemorated annually to raise awareness of the impact of an ageing population and the need to ensure that people can grow older with dignity and continue to participate in society as citizens with full right. The Older Person’s Week is observed annually from the 02 to 06 October 2023. The 1st Sunday of October month is declared as the Grandparents’ Day

This year’s theme, “Resilience of Older Persons in a changing world”, by the United Nations, for the International Day of Older Persons considers challenges facing Older Persons globally and serves to highlight the importance of advocating for the inclusion of Older Persons in the fourth industrial revolution.

Department’s Special Needs and Services to Families Director Khanyisile Mathebula giving a message of support to the participants said, “We are celebrating this day in style this year through song and dance as we also create awareness on active ageing and promote dignity and self-esteem”.