People’s Post Constantia/Wynberg E-edition 31 March 2026

BreakthroughinTBfight

Nearly40000 people were tested fortuberculosis(TB)inFebruary this year,the WesternCape Department of Health and Wellnesssays.

This is thehighest monthly figure ever recorded in theprovince, markinga majorbreakthroughin the fightagainst thedisease

Theincreasesignals an intensified push to find andtreat TB early. Between 2023 andlastyear, annual testingspikedfrom207 496 to 356331,anincreaseofnearly 150000 testsinjusttwo years, as efforts ramp up around WorldTB Daycommemoratedon24March

TB remainsone of SouthAfrica’s most seriouspublichealthchallenges

AccordingtoStatisticsSouth Africa,TBisthe fifthleading underlying naturalcause of deathin thecountry

Mireille Wenger,provincial health andwellnessminister, emphasised theimportanceofputting theneedsofthe most vulnerable firstinthe fightagainst TB

ShesaidTBispreventable and curable, andnoone should be left behind becauseofwhere they live or theircircumstances

CelebratingWorld TB Daywith a flagship eventinCaledon the

FIFTH NATURAL CAUSEOFDEATH

department in partnershipwith theNationalDepartmentofHealth andthe SouthAfrican National AIDS Council, marked theday by bringing together residentsand servicepartners, drawingover3 000 people

In thebuild up to this eventand underthe theme“Yes, youand I canbeatTB”,healthcareteams, partners andcommunities across theprovincehosteda rangeof outreach events,takingscreening, health educationand support directly into communities

TheseincludedTBscreeningsin Khayelitshaand Eerste River, and educationsessionsatschoolsand in Kraaifontein.

Between Aprillastyearand Februarythisyear, more than 48 000 people were diagnosedwithTBin theWestern Cape

Nearly half of thesecases were amongyoung adults aged 25 to 44, thoseinthe most economically active yearsoftheir lives.

Accordingtothe department, only 90%(approximately43200) of thosediagnosed with TB during this period startedtreatment, despitetreatment beingfreeand

effective Wenger said clinicsoffer combinedTBand HIVservicesbecause thesediseasesare “deeply interconnected” Throughinitiatives such as the Closethe Gapand EndTBcampaigns,the department continues to expand testing, strengthen linkagetocare, andsupport patients to remain on treatment.

Theseefforts aregroundedin partnership, bringing together government,civil society, the privatesectorand communities in asharedresponse.

Wenger encouraged residents to seek care earlyand remain on treatment.

Conformityismistakenfor righteousness

Thegrief is familiar

Iwrote astory on aGender-basedviolence(GBV) case before aboutThandokazi(not herrealname) whoreached out, hadher partnerarrested andleftanabusive partner only to meet someonewho mirroredthe same controlling behaviour.

Theactorschanged,but thestory felt identical.

Hello partner! Life hasa wayof repeatingitself. That is thelens throughwhich Ioften view the world, theideaof“same script, differentcast”

Icomefroma placewhere storiesare livedbeforetheyare told.Where laughter,heartbreak, survival,and loss sharethe same stage. Wherelifedoesnot move in straight linesbut in loops. The scenes change.The faceschange. Butthe patternsreturn.

This is what unsettles me Iworry abouthow harm becomes normalised,how silenceprotects injustice, andhow culturecan quietlyteach people to endure what they should be empoweredto challenge.

Iworry aboutthe cycles in our communities andthe ways human behaviourrepeats across homes, streets, institutions,and generations.

This is whyI pick up my pento observe, to reflect, andtounderstand.

WHENVIOLENCEBECOMESROUTINE

GBVisa script ourcountry knowstoo well.

Across SouthAfrica, storiesof womenattackedintheir homes, survivorsseekingjustice,and grieving families dominate headlineswithpainful regularity

Communities gather,outrage rises, promises aremadeand then thepattern returns. Theperpetratorsare different.

Thesecyclesare notrandom. They grow from patriarchy, inequality,economicstrain, anda culturethatstill struggles to confrontabuse directly Violence is learned. Silenceis learned. Powerimbalancesare learned.

In my community,conversations with friendsand family echo the same national story. Someone always knowssomeone.A neighbour.A cousin.A colleague

Recognisingthe pattern is uncomfortable, butnecessary.We cannotinterrupt what we refuseto name.Through my writing, Itry to hold up amirrornot to sensationalisepain, buttomakerepetition visible.

LOVEREPEATSWHATWEDONOTHEAL

Love carries itsown reruns People often find themselves drawntothe same kindsofpartners emotionally distant, controlling,unpredictable,orunavailable.Differentnames.Familiar wounds

Ourearliestlessons aboutlove come from what we seeathome, what we aretaughtinfamilies, and what culturequietly rewards. Who to love.Whentomarry.Whatto tolerate.Whattoforgive Theseexpectationssettledeep Butloveisnot only repetition;it is also possibility.Eachnew relationship offersa moment of recognition,a chance to say: “Not this again.”A chance to setboundaries. Achancetochoosedifferently. Reflection is what turnsexperience into growth

Still, onetruth matters:what worksfor onepersonmay notwork foranother.Survivalstrategiesare personal.Healing is personal.Our experiencescan guideand inspire, buttheyshouldnot become universal instructions

Lessons aremeant to lightthe path,not dictatethe journey.

FAITHBETWEENHEALINGANDHARM Churches andfaith communities hold complicatedroles in ourlives

They offer prayer,counselling, food support,belonging,and spaces wherepeoplesearchfor meaning. They help people survive grief, addiction, andhardship. Formanyfamilies, faithisa lifeline

Butfaith spaces canalsoecho society’srigid scripts. Gender rolesare reinforced Harmful relationshipsare sometimespreserved underthe language of forgiveness. People are urgedtoenduresufferingquietly Conformity is mistaken forrighteousness.

Thesemessagesare rarely loud, buttheyare powerful

Yetfaith spaces arealsocapable of transformation.Support groups, trauma counselling,community activism,and open conversations aboutabuse arereshaping what care lookslike. Whereawareness grows, choicesexpand.

This is wheremyreflection becomesurgent. Pain canteach.Survivalcan inspire. Testimonycan strengthen others

Butnoone person’s livedexperience should become doctrine

We arenot thestandard. People canlearn.Peoplecan be moved. People canaspireto change

Butlives aretoo complexfor onesize-fits-all answers.

WHENSOCIETYRECYCLESSTRUGGLE

Thesamescripts appear beyond ourpersonallives

Povertypassesfromone generation to thenext.

Under-resourcedschoolslimit opportunity. Youngpeopleinheritbarrierstheydid notcreate. Workplaces reproducecultures of harassmentand marginalisation.Political speechesrecycle old promises in newlanguage. Theactorschange, newleaders, newmanagers, newpolicies. Butthe storylinefeelsfamiliar. What lookslikeindividualfailure is oftenstructuralrepetition. Systemsshape behaviour. Environments shapechoices.History

lingersinthe present. Writingabout thesecyclesis my wayoftracing thethreads.If we seethe pattern clearly, we can begintochallengeitdeliberately.

AWARENESSCHANGESTHEENDING Thandokazi’s storydid notend whereitbegan At first, shefelttrappedina familiar loop.But with support and guidance,she learnedtorecognise earlywarning signs. Shenamed controlling behaviour. Sheset boundaries.She chosedifferently. Theactorschanged.Her awareness changedthe script Notevery storyoffersneatclosure.However recognitioncreates possibility.Reflection creates distance.Choicecreates change Life’s reruns arenot always signs of failure. Sometimestheyare lessons waitingtobeunderstood

WHYIKEEPWRITING Iwrite becauseitpains me to watchthe same storiesunfold. Iwrite becauseitunsettles me howoften we recognisepatterns only aftertheyhurtusagain Iwrite becauseI am concerned abouthow culturequietly,persistentlyscripts livesbeforepeople realisetheyhaveoptions “Samescript, differentcast” is more than an observation. It is a meditation on humanbehaviour, culture, power, andchoice. My pen is my witness. My reflection.My quietformofresistance. People canlearn from thesestories.Theycan find comfort, warning, or courageinthem. They can feel seen.Theycan feel inspired Butthisisnot arulebook Life mayhandusfamiliarplots, butthe endingsare not fixed. Each newface, each newmoment, is an invitation to responddifferentlyto interrupt harm,toquestionnorms, to breakcycles. Awarenessgives us language Couragegives us movement Reflection givesusdirection Even when theactorschange, we stillholdthe powertorewrite the narrative

Trails closed after chopper crash

NAMHLAMONAKALI

Popular hiking trails aboveHoutBay remain closed threedaysafter a mountain fire andhelicoptercrash, with authoritieswarning thepublicto stay away from thearea.

Yesterday(30 March) SouthAfrican National Parks(SANParks)confirmed that all trails around Vlakkenbergand Constantia Nek remain shut following theblaze that brokeout on theslopesabove Grotto Road on Tuesday24 March.

“Hikersand membersofthe public arestrongly advisednot to attemptaccess from ConstantiaNek or anysurrounding entrypoints,”the agency wroteina pressstatement

Theclosuresremaininplace as crewscontinue to monitorconditionsand assess safety risks on theaffectedslopes.

TheCityofCapeTownFireand Rescue Service confirmed that crewswere firstalerted to the fire at 13:40and respondedfromHoutBay Fire Stationwitha fire engine andwater tanker

Additional resources, including fire engines, watertankers andaerialsupport,weredeployed as the fire crestedthe ridgetowards Klein Constantia Farm

At theheightofoperations, threehelicopters anda fixed-wing spotteraircraftwereusedto combat theblaze

During firefighting efforts on Wednesday25 March, ahelicoptercontractedtoSANParks crashedonthe mountain aboveHoutBay Fire servicespokespersonMarkBosch said the aircraft appeared to have clippedthe mountain with itsmainrotor whileoperating between Hout Bayand Constantia Nek

“The pilothas survived.Weimmediately

Thecrewsurvived ahelicopter crash above Hout Baylast Wednesday 25 March whileassisting ground crewsbattling amountain fire.

PHOTO:SUPPLIED

THE AIRCRAFTAPPEARED TO HAVE CLIPPEDTHE MOUNTAIN WITH ITSMAIN ROTOR

activatedanincidentmanagementteamand deployed rescue techniciansupthe mountain face,” he said

Thecrash site wassecured by enforcement officers before beinghandedovertopoliceand theSouth AfricanCivil Aviation Authorityfor investigation.

Whilenodamagetopropertyhas been reported,authorities warn that post-fire conditions mayposerisks to thepublic.

Theseinclude possiblehotspots, unstable ground andfalling rocksinburnedareas

Fire crewsremainonsitetomonitor conditionsand prevent flare-ups.

SANParks andthe City were approached for further comment, buthad notresponded at the time of publication.

Hungerchampspackfoodparcels

NAMHLAMONAKALI

VolunteersatBlueRoute Mall joined forces with Rise AgainstHunger Africa on HumanRightsDay (Saturday21March)totacklechild hunger in thecity.

Together,theypacked33264 meals, which will provide144 children at selected Early Childhood DevelopmentCentres (ECDs) with dailynutritiousmeals forseveral months

Theinitiativeinvited membersofthe public, families,and corporategroupstoparticipate in one-hour meal-packing shifts

Each volunteer helped packagethe mealsundersupervision,withorganisersexplainingthe processand theimpactoftheir contributions. Volunteersofall ages helped,showing strong interest in supportinga causethataffects many Organisers said theevent aimedtoaddress food insecurity amongchildrenwhile highlightingthe importance of community involvement in social initiatives. They also emphasised that simple actions, like volunteering fora short shift, canhavea tangible impact on thelives of vulnerable children

“Hungerremains acriticalchallengefor children.Eventslikethisprovide much-needed mealsand demonstratethe valueofcollective action,” said BronwynRabie,RegionalMarketingManager forBlueRoute Themeals will be deliveredtothe ECDs in the

Jazz fest offered avarietyfor all

KAYLYNNEBANTOM

Jazz filledthe airasthousands of jazz enthusiastsmoved from onestage to thenext, spoilt forchoicebyanimpressive line-upofbothlocal andinternational artistsovertwo nights during this year’s Cape Town InternationalJazz Festival (CTIJF).

TheFestival, held on Friday 27 andSaturday 28 March, offered somethingfor both younger audiencesand soulful oldsouls alike.

Thebuild up to thefestivalsaw variousmaster classesbyartists includingthe popularfree jazz concertheldonGreen Market Square on Wednesday25March

On Friday,the Rosies Stageauditorium filledupquickly as spectators seized therare opportunitytosee 91-year-oldlegendary pianist AbdullahIbrahim perform.

Wheeled onto thestage in awheelchair, Ibrahimtook theaudienceona moving journey,

evokingnostalgia anddeep emotionashe played some of hisbeloved andtimelesscompositions.

At theMoses Molelekwastage audience were captivated by thesoulful sounds of Rorisang Sechele, aSouth Africanvocalistand songwriter from Pretoria

Laterthatevening JacobCollier,anEnglish singer,songwriter, multi-instrumentalistlit up thestage with hisinnovative approach to music, blending jazz, pop, classical, andmore.

Sipho“Hotsix”Mabusetook theaudience straight back in time with histimelesshits, getting thecrowd on theirfeet as they sang and danced along.

OtherperformersincludedmodernjazzpowerhouseYussefDayes whoappearedwithThe YussefDayes Experience,Maliansinger-songwriter FatoumataDiawara andthe CTIJFJazz Orchestra.

Localartists whomadetheir debuts at thefestivalincludedKeziahMeyers, whosestage name is Lordkezand GugulethustarSiveMarasha, popularlyknows as Luukhanyo.

Speaking to People’s Post,Luukhanyosaid: “Thiswas exciting notonlyfor me butfor everyonethathas been involved in my journey. This is abig opportunity. Threeyears ago, this was oneofour goals… Having theluxurytobeon thestage is nothingshort of ablessing.”

Percussionist, singer,and performerSheilaE returned to thefestivalstage afterfew years. GeorgiaJones,directorofthe festival,describedthe eventasa festival forthe people “Thisyearwewantedtocreatea newexperience sonically.Welooked at nostalgiabringing in theold andthe new. Andcreatinga platform forartists that areyet to jump to otherinternational festivals.”

CANCERTAKESCENTRESTAGEDURINGCANSARELAY

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intoSaturday28March.

12-hour fundraising event at Vygieskraal

in the

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on Friday27