FF Plus to approach Human Rights Commission about humiliation of pensioner

The Freedom Front Plus will be submitting a complaint to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) following the incident in which an 84 year old woman from Newcastle, Mrs. Ria van Straaten was forced to sing before her old age pension was paid out to her (see Witness report).

The party also demands the immediate firing of the personnel who had been involved in the incident and insists that the relevant personnel are ordered by the HRC to compensate Mrs. Van Straaten for the trauma and humiliation which she had to suffer.

Adv. Anton Alberts, the FF Plus' spokesperson on social development says that Mrs. Van Straaten is still so traumatised and humiliated that she does not want to speak about the incident.

 "We will be submitting a complaint with the Human Rights Commission and the Public Service Commission against the manager of the relevant office.

 "The Public Service Commission should investigate this and we insist that the guilty parties are never again appointed in the public service.

 "It is scandalous that an old lady, who merely wanted to fetch her pension, had been humiliated in this manner. It is proof that the government pays only lip service when it comes to equal treatment of minorities," Adv. Alberts said.

Statement issued by Adv. Anton Alberts, FF Plus spokesperson: Social Development, April 11 2013

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