People’s Post Claremont/Rondebosch E-edition 21 July 2026

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Walkthetalkforchildren

KAYLYNNEBANTOM

Whena 10-year-old

Robert Knutsen first took part in Blisters forBread in 1969, he tackled theroute in hisschool shoes and finished with theblisters to proveit.

More than five decadeslater, Knutsen(67)willreturntothe eventthathas grownfroma small school initiative into oneofthe WesternCape’sbiggest fundraisersinthe fightagainst childhood hunger

Organisedannually by thePeninsula School FeedingAssociation (PSFA),the Blisters forBread in associationwithLucky Star will take placeonSunday16August in GreenPoint.The eventaims to raisemuch-needed funds and awarenesstohelpfeed vulnerable children across theprovince.

Thecharity walk beganin1968 when staff andlearnersofSavio College in Lansdownelaunchedthe initiative to support school feeding programmes

Lookingbackonhis firstBlisters forBread walk from Simon’sTown to Lansdowne, Knutsentold People’sPost theevent left himwith lastingmemories.

“WhenI firstparticipated, Iwas a learneratthe school.Backthen, we were youngand hada lotofenergy, so we raninstead of walking. Iremember my firstrun becauseI did it whilewearing school shoesbecausewedidn’thavefancy shoes. I hadrealblistersafter that run. ”

He recalled howlearnerspersonally raised funds forthe walk by visiting homesintheir communities andaskingresidents to support thecause

“Backinthose days,itwas safe to walk thestreetsatnight and knockonpeople’sdoorsaskingfor sponsorships.”

BLISTERSFOR BREAD IS ON SUNDAY 16 AUGUST

Commentingonthe upcoming event, Knutsensaidhewas determinedtohelpafter readinga People’sPost articleearlier this year warningthatthisyear’sBlistersfor Breadcould be cancelleddue to financialconstraints

“I took aphotographofthe articleand posted it on ourfriends’ WhatsApp groupand askedhow we canrescuethe initiative.I thoughtitwould be sadifthisinitiativewould come to an end.”

He explainedthatone of his friendsisJonathanProcter,group ChiefExecutive OfficerofPrimedia, whodecided to come on board as aradio partner.

ProctersaidBlistersfor Bread holds“deep personal andcorpo-

rate significance” as he attended SavioCollege.HesaidKfm 94.5’s partnershipwiththe charityaligns with Primedia’s commitmentto community upliftment

Procterhighlighted therecord-breaking2022radiothon, whichraisedR20 million forthe PSFA

He addedthatthrough Primedia Caresand Kfm’scommunity initiatives, theorganisationcontinues to support education, disaster relief andyouth developmentacross SouthAfrica, with afocus on creatinglasting hope andopportunity.

“SupportingBlistersfor Bread is thereforenot only an honour rooted in my personal history, but also astrategic andethical imperativefor Primedia.Itexemplifies thespiritofUbuntu, ourshared humanity,which compelsusto take action againstinequalityand hunger

Participationinsuchinitiatives invigoratescommunities,nourish-

es children,and strengthensthe social fabric that bindsusall.” KnutsenbelievesBlistersfor Breadisa lastingreminderofthe values that definedSavio College andits commitmenttoserving the community Aftermorethan five decades, Knutsenispreparing to lace up hisshoes once againfor this year’s event.

“I am lookingforward to take part butI am lookingmostforward to notgetting blisters,” he said jokingly Participants canchoosebetween a10kmwalkstartingat07:30 and a5km walk starting at 08:00. Entrycosts R125 perperson, whichcan provide23childrenwith anutritiousbreakfast andlunch forone day.

Entriesare limitedto10000 participants,and registrations closeatmidnightonSunday2 August.Onlyonlineentries will be accepted

We arefacingmorethan ahousingcrisis

housing, toolittletoqualify fora bond on amarket-priced home

My work dayusually starts hoursearlier.The alarmgoes off before dawn

Everymorning teachers,nurses,policeofficers andthousands of othermiddle-income workers make thesamejourney.Theydo nottravelbecause they enjoyit. They travel becauselivingcloser to wheretheyworkhas become financially outofreach

That is whya recent housing market studyshouldconcern far more than aspiring home owners Cape Town residentialproperty prices rose 9,1% between September 2024 andSeptember last year.Average housepricesnow sit between R2,1 million andR3,36 million dependingonproperty type.Only43% of homessoldin Cape Town were priced belowR1,5 million.There is oneformalhouse forevery 3,3familiesearning less than R26000 permonth.More than 80%ofSouth Africanhouseholdscannotaffordpropertiesin theirown city

Thesenumbers were neverdesigned to addup. Consider theworkers:a teacher earnsR21 000 –R30 000 a month, an enrolled nurseR20 000 –R27 000, aprofessional nurse R28000 –R35 000, apoliceconstable R15000 –R20 000. They fall squarely in the“missing middle” toomuchfor state-subsidised

Thearithmeticisbrutal. To qualifyfor abondona R2,5 million suburban home,a householdneeds anet monthlyincomeofapproximately R55000 to R60000. Half of allCapeTownhouseholdsearn less than R20700 permonth.That is nota lifestyleproblem.Itisan arithmetic problem. No discipline closes agap that wide.Thisisnot apersonalfailure.Itisa structural wall.

Home ownershipisactively declining. Theshare of mortgage-linked, owner-occupied homesinSouth Africa fell from 7,5% in 2019 to 6,3% by last year Rentinghouseholdsrosefrom 21,9%to25,8%.These arenot signsofa market correctingitself. They describe amarketdesignedto exclude. Andthenthe City adds its ownweighttothe squeeze. Property ratesrose7,96%,after 5,7% the year before.Electricity increased by 7,2%,after an 11,78%hikelast year.Water costsrosethrough tiered pricingthatpushmiddle-income households into higher-rate bands.

Theseincreases arrive on topof already-stretchedrentand transport.For thosealready stretched on transportevery additional municipalcostfurther reduces what littleremains forsavings or investment

Theaffordability benchmarkis 10%. TheMyCiTiMonthly Pass rose by 50%, from R1 000 to R1 500inJulythisyear. Minibus-taxi usersreportmonthly costsofR1

200toR1500 fora single route. Workersdisplaced to outlying areastravel15-20 km or more.Those whocannotaffordtolivenearwork travel thefurthest, paythe most andlosethe most time

When teachers cannotaffordto live near theirschoolstheyspend hourscommuting insteadof preparinglessons or eating dinner with theirfamilies. Nurses finish demandingshiftsonlytoface anothertwo-hourjourney home Police officers servecommunities they cannotaffordtolivein. We should askhonestlywhether our cities aredesignedfor thepeople whokeep them functioning Perhapsthe most revealingfact aboutthe City’s commitments is this:the City of Cape Town promised 12 000 affordable-housingunits targetinghouseholds earninguptoR32 000 permonth As of mid-2025 nota single gapopen-market unit hadbeen completed. TheR5,1billion social packageexists. Thepolitical will to deploy it whereitisneeded most does notyet appear to SouthAfrica’snationalhousing backlogstandsatapproximately 2,4million units. More than 90% of individualsfromhistorically marginalised groups remain in areasdesignatedunder apartheid spatial-planning,) areasthatconcentrate poverty, limitopportunity andguarantee long commutes. Fewerthan8%oftracked householdsinsocialhousing ever transition to privatehomeownership When thesystemtraps people geographically thepromise that

honest work leadstosomewhere betterbecomes no more than an attractive butinfinitely elusive prospect

At what pointdid full-time employment stop beingenoughto builda life?Not alifeofluxury. A modest one. Aplace to call home Areasonablecommute.Timeto eatdinnerwithyourfamily. The chance to save.The possibility of building wealth insteadofspendinga growingshare of your salary on rent,transport andrisingmunicipalcosts

We have accepted adangerous contradiction. We tell youngpeoplethateducation is thepathway to opportunity, that hard work pays off,thata stable career leads to stability. Yetanincreasing number of graduatesand professionalsare discoveringthateven with permanentemployment, home ownershipinthe city where they work is notjustdelayed,but structurally impossible. Perhapsthe biggest question is notwhether theWestern Cape has enough affordablehouses. It is whetherwehavequietly accepted that an entire generation can do everything societyasked of them:study, find work,pay taxes, contribute to theeconomy andstill neverown ahomeinthe city they help build. If that is becoming normal,then we arefacingmorethana housing crisis.Weare witnessing theslow erasureofone of themostfundamental promises of adulthood: that honest work should make it possibletobuild afuture.

Profshowswhy fertilityisfalling

AUniversity of Cape Town professorfeaturesina new United Kingdom(UK)documentary examiningwhether everyday chemicalsare contributingtofalling fertilityrates worldwide.

Prof AqielDalvie, director of UCT’s Centre forEnvironmental andOccupational Research in theSchool of Public Health,appearsin Infertile, made by Escapade Productionsand distributedbyEspresso Media.

Thedocumentary investigates chemicalsfound in plastics,pesticides, cosmetics, food packagingand householdproducts. It asks whether exposure to thesesubstancesmay be linked to decliningfertility rates across theworld.The issueaffects an estimatedone in sixpeople, making infertilitya growingpublichealth concern.

Dalvie says thesubject is closely connected to hisworkatUCT.“The topicisa majorpublichealthissue globally andhas been thecentral focusofmyresearchthroughoutmy career,” he says.“Iagreed to participatebecause it provides an importantopportunitytoincreasepublic awarenessand understandingofthis growingchallenge.”

Thedocumentary includes footage from fieldworkDalvieconducted in therural WesternCape. Thefootage formspartofanongoing cohort study

launched in 2017

Thestudy follows thereproductive health of 1000 children whowere exposedtopesticides. Researchers continue to monitorthe groupwhile investigatingthe possiblelong-term effects of chemical exposure Dalvie hasworkedatUCT formore than threedecades.Healsoholds theChair in Global Environmental Health,a collaboration between UCT andthe SwissTropicaland Public Health Institute. Hisresearchhas examined hormone levels,semen qualityand fer-

DOCUMENTARY EXPLORESEVERYDAY CHEMICALSIMPACT ON HEALTH

tility amongworkers exposedtoDDT throughmalaria-control spraying He hasalsoinvestigatedchemical exposure amongfarmworkers and communities in differentparts of SouthAfrica. Theresearchfocuses on endocrine-disrupting chemicals, whichcan interferewiththe body’s hormonal system.These chemicals arefound in arange of products andmay remain in theenvironment forlongperiods.“Ourresearch hasdemonstratedw persistent environm by endocrine-disrup in both urbanand ru SouthAfrica,”Dalvi exposure levels areh with thosereportedi countries.”Through to Infertile, Dalvie will gain aclearer un thepossiblelinks be mental exposure an health.The docume internationalpersp beingconducted in whilehighlightingt of continuedmonit awareness.

ort on Thursday 16 July PHOTO:SUPPLIED

MandelaDayfixforSilvermine

NAMHLAMOANAKALI

FriendsofTable Mountain volunteersjoined MedX andRondeboschBoys’ High School in Silvermine fora MandelaDay conservation effortonThursday16July.

Thevolunteersremoved Port Jackson, an invasive alienplant from Australia, as part of the SugarbirdProject’s work to restorefynbosand protectthe Cape Floral Kingdom.

Glen Mabekha, member of Tablemontain volunteers, said invasive alienplantsthreatenthe region’s watersupply, biodiversity andwildlife.

“The Cape Floral Kingdomisthe smallest of theworld’s six floral kingdoms,yet it contains about9 000 plantspecies.Around70% of these speciesoccurnowhere else,” he said “Manyofthese plants face growingthreats from invasive alienplants, includingPort Jackson.”

TheCapeFloralKingdom includes fynbos, Afromontaneforestand renosterveld.Invasive plants spread quicklyand competewithnative vegetation forwater,space andnutrients

AccordingtoMabekha,alien trees canuse significantly more waterthanfynbos. Clearing them helpsprotect waterresources andallows indigenous plants to recover.

Theproject also aims to restorehabitat for pollinators andnectar-feedingbirds,includingthe Cape sugarbirdand orange-breasted sunbird. “These birdsdependonnectarfromproteas

andericas,”Mabekha said.“When invasive plants take over,those nectar sourcesdisappear.Byclearingalien vegetation,wecan restorefynbosand bringbackthe flowersand birds.”Fynbosalsosupportsuniqueplant andanimalspecies.Invasiveplantscan alter thesoil, shadeout indigenous vegetation and increase theintensity of wildfires.

TheSugarbird Project’sapproachissimple: remove invasive plants,restore fynbos,protect waterand create saferhabitatsfor biodiversity

“Itisnot just weeding,”Glensaid. “Itisecosystem restorationthatprotectswater,reduces fire risk andsafeguardsthe Cape Floral Kingdomfor futuregenerations.”

Repairsunderway oncrucialroute

Motoristscan expect Kloof Road,the road that linksCamps BayDrive with RoundHouse Road in CampsBay,to reopen by mid-December as rehabilitationworkonthe storm-damaged routeremains on schedule

TheCitysaidsteadyprogresswas beingmadedespite challengingterrain andthe area’s environmentally sensitiveconditions.

Thesection wasclosedafter the embankment supportingKloof Road wasdestabilisedduringa Level9 storminSeptember 2023

Furtherdamageoccurredin2024, when heavyrainfallcausedanadditional slip failureduringthe winter season

Kloof Road linksthe City Bowl with the Atlantic Seaboard suburbsofCamps Bay, Clifton, Bantry Bayand Sea Point. RobQuintas,Mayco member

in theworkareaisnearlydoneby ourcolleaguesfromthe Waterand Sanitation Directorateand is now beingtestedbeforeitisreconnected to theexistingwater main.Weare grateful forthe good weatherofthe past fewdays, whichalsohelps to getthe work done.” Quintassaidthe road is expected to reopen to traffic by mid-December,providedthere arenoweather-related or other unforeseen delays.The contractor wascarefully planning work around winter weatherconditionsand using temporarydrainage, sandbags and bermstoprotect thesiteduring heavyrainand strong winds. Quintas said work to date included clearing thesite, rescuing indigenous plants forreplanting, andexcavationand preparationworkfor thegabionwalls hadbeen completed.

Creating spacesfor youth to grow

Kites were flown at apast Cape MentalHealthevent.JulymarksPsychosocial DisabilityAwareness Month, with Cape Mental Health and the SouthAfricanFederation forMental Health (SAFMH) calling forgreater investment in community-basedmental health services.PHOTO:SUPPLIED

Mentalhealthtakescentrestage

July is psychosocial disability awarenessmonth andCapeMentalHealth, together with the SouthAfrican Federation forMentalHealth (SAFMH), arecalling on communities for greaterinvestmentincommunity-based mental health services.These services help people with psychosocial disabilities recover, live with dignity, exercise theirrights, andparticipate fully in society.

This year’s campaign highlights theimportanceofmovingawayfromapproaches that isolatepeoplewithmentalhealthconditions. Instead, it encourages communities to create opportunitiesfor people to live,learn,work, andbeincludedineverydaycommunity life

AccordingtoBarbara Meyer, spokesperson forCapeMentalHealth, they areappealingfor investment in community-based mental health services that promoterecovery, dignity, human rights,and social inclusionfor people living with psychosocial disabilities

This year’s theme, “FromInstitution to Inclusion: TheImportanceofCommunity-Based Mental Health Care”, highlights theneedto move beyond approaches that isolatepeople with ntal health nditio di tead

placewithinour communitiesand families, amongpeoplewho accept andembrace us Why, then,are community-basedmentalhealth services stillunderfundedand outofreach for most?Every community deserves easy access to mental health care that restores hope and dignity.”

PSYCHOSOCIALREHABILITATIONSERVICES

Theorganisationprovidesa rangeofcommunity-based mental health services designed to empowerindividuals andsupport theirrecovery journey. Theseservicesinclude counselling, psychosocial rehabilitation andsupport, family education, support groups,community outreach programmes, treatmentadherence support,skills development, andpubliceducation initiatives. Akey componentofCape Mental Health’s community-based approach is itsFountainHouse ProgrammesinObservatory andMitchells Plain. Theseprogrammes form part of ClubhouseInternational andoffer psychosocial rehabilitation services that help membersbuild confidence, developworkand life skills,accesssupported employment opportuniti nd st th cial ctio

Minstrelscall forCityfairness

KAYLYNNEBANTOM

The Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association(CTMCA) hascalledonthe City of Cape Town to treatall minstrelorganisations fairly when allocating eventvenues, saying it hopeda recent High Courtvictory wouldpavethe way forconstructiveengagementahead of future TweedeNuweJaar celebrations

Last monththe WesternCapeHighCourt dismissedthe City’s applicationfor leavetoappeal in itslegal battlewiththe CTMCA. JudgeMokgoatji Lekhuleniruled that the City’s appeal hadnoreasonableprospects of success andsaidallowing thematterto continue wouldbea colossal“wasteofjudicial resources”

Thecasearose afterthe City hadcancelled CTMCA’sconfirmed bookingofVygieskraal Stadium, wherethe associationhad plannedto host its TweedeNuweJaar events in January this year.OnMonday29Decemberlastyearthe WesternCapeHighCourt delivereda victoryfor Cape Town’s minstrel community,orderingthat theCityprovide appropriatevenuesfor their cultural traditions

Therulingcameafter intenselegal proceedings,withthe CTMCAsuccessfully challenging theCity’scontroversial withdrawal of venue permissionsand parade permits. In itsappeal theCityarguedthatthe bookinghad been confirmed by “mistake”because Vygieskraal Stadiumdid notmeet therequirementsofthe Safety at Sports andRecreational Events Act. Thecourt rejected theargument, ruling that theCitywas trying to introducea newreasonfor itsdecisionafter thefact.

TheCityemphasisedthatthe official Tweede Nuwe Jaar Festival,organised by theCTMCA,remainedunaffectedand didproceed as plannedonMonday5 Januaryatthe newvenue in Green Point. Igshaan Alexander, chairofthe CTMCA, describedthe ruling as groundbreakingfor theassociationand othersmall groups “Weare appealingtothe City to providea list of venues that areconducive to hostingsuchan event, insteadofjustissuingrefusals, many of them last-minute, or usingdelayingtactics.” He also calledonthe City to engage with the associationonthe wayforward andonfuture events,sayingvenue allocation should not favour certainorganisations over others.Responding to queries, theCitysaidina statement it provided variousavailable datesatAthlone stadium, “but thesewerenot takenup” by the CTMCA. “While theeventslinkedtothe court matterare alreadyinthe past theCitywillkeep striving to support theminstrelcommunity to achievegreater heights, as wasthe case with this past festiveseason’srobustand successful TweedeNuweJaar andminstrelcompetition programme.” TheCityencouragedthe CTMCA to “act timeouslytosecureavailable dates” in either public or privatevenues, whichthe City says arelimited over thebusyfestive season TheCityhostedaninformation session at the City Hall on Tuesday14Julytobrief Christmas bands, Malaychoir andminstrelgroupson itsevent permit andvenue bookingprocesses aheadofthe busy festiveseason. Representativesfromassociations,troupes, bandsand choirs whoregisteredinadvance attended thesession.But Alexanderfeltthe informationsession offered littlenew information forthe CTMCA,

Mandela Daycelebrated widely

Communities across South Africa came together on Saturday,18July, to mark MandelaDay throughactsof serviceaimed at upliftingthose in need andhonouring thelegacyofformerpresident Nelson Mandela.

In Cape Town,schools, businesses, non-profitorganisations,community groups andvolunteersrolleduptheir sleeves to take part in awiderange of initiatives, includingfood drives, beachand neighbourhood clean-ups, educationalactivities, tree planting, meal preparationand community outreach projects

WhileMandela Daywas officially

THOUSANDSGAVE67 MINUTES OF THEIR TIMETOGIVEBACK

commemoratedonSaturday, many organisationshostedtheir events on Friday,allowingthousands of people across themetro to giving back

From feedingvulnerablefamilies andsupportingearly childhood developmentcentres to protecting theenvironment andimproving public spaces,the initiativesreflected Mandela’senduringmessage that everyone hasthe powertomakea positive difference

than 150 volunteers joinedthe

18

Thenon-profit organisation, Community Chest of the Western Cape transformed Bree Street in Cape Town intoa1600seat outdoor “Langtafel”,bringing peopletogether to shareamealand celebratethe spirit of giving.

Youth return home inspired

KEANANHARMSE

Agroupofyoung de Town’s Cape Flat buzzing with idea Festival26,aninterna powermentevent held States of America(US to Monday 13 July

Thedelegationreprese Your Dreams”, aSchaap organisation (NPO)found Oasisusessport –speci netball– as avehicle to em marginalised communiti life skills training,violenc grammesand community forat-risk youth.

The five youngdelegates Ruiters, Nathan Harriso andLiyanda Narwele– ha Grassy Park,Ottery andP They were accompanie Damons and flew outofC tional Airportonthe mo (“AhistoricUSA trip fory Post,7 July). Theirparticipation wasm Oasissuccessfully reache target of R240 000– ag appealingtothe public to before departure. Festival26 broughttoget 400young people from 24