Seniors take the stage as Golden Games light up Durban
Hon.MEC MS Mbali Shinga set alight the Active Aging torch and officially opened the Golden Games 2025 at the Tills Crescent Park in Brickfield, Durban.
Image: KZN Department of Social Development / Facebook
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Social Development, Ms Mbali Shinga, officially launched the 2025 Active Ageing Golden Games at Tills Crescent Park in Durban.
The Golden Games form a key part of the department’s Active Ageing Programme, which seeks to promote physical health and social engagement among senior citizens. Launched in 2011, the event is held annually and is open to participants aged 65 and older.
Now a fixture on the province’s social development calendar, the games celebrate the spirit, athleticism and resilience of elderly South Africans. This year’s edition features more than 1,650 senior athletes from 11 KwaZulu-Natal districts, competing in a variety of sporting events
Senior citizen participants parading before the official opening of the Active Aging / Golden games.
Image: KZN Department of Social Developments / Facebook
Ahead of the official opening, the participants took part in a parade representing their respective districts. MEC Shinga was joined by eThekwini Metro officials and other local government leaders in declaring the 2025 games open.
In her keynote address, Shinga described the games as “medicine for all illnesses,” praising their role in promoting healthy lifestyles among the elderly.
“These Golden Games show us that healthy lifestyles are one of the greatest medicines for all illnesses,” she said.
Shinga also used the platform to address the issue of gender-based violence (GBV), urging senior citizens to report incidents. “GBV continues to be a national crisis. Our elders must play a role in breaking the silence and reporting these cases to reduce this scourge,” she said.
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