People's Post | False Bay E-Edition 12 August 2025

Walk’s closing date looms

KAYLYNNEBANTOM

When the first Blisters for Bread Charity Family Fun Walk kicked off

57 years ago, Stanley Meiring was only 17 years old and could never have imagined that the R158 that he raised while walking would help lay the foundation for a cause that continues to change lives today

The annual event will take place on Sunday 31 August at the Green Point Common Sports Ground And those hoping to take part are reminded that the closing date for registration is at midnight on Sunday 17 August Now in its 57th year, Blisters for Bread is not just a walk it’s a movement Each year, thousands gather in solidarity to help the Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA) combat child hunger by raising vital funds to provide daily meals to learners across the Western Cape Meiring (74) still fondly remembers his first walk

“I was in matric at the time And we were told we must walk 19

miles (over 30 km’s) from Simon’s Town to Savio College in Lansdowne Father Preston said the walk was for a worthy cause and that they were going to raise funds for the Peninsula School Feeding Association ”

Meiring explained that he and his fellow classmates took on the challenge without hesitation “All we were told was to wear comfortable shoes We didn’t have any of the fancy shoes that are available today We just wore normal takkies and some wore their school shoes When you are 17 years old you just walk, we didn’t feel the distance we had to walk ” He says he’s proud to have been part of the first Blisters for Bread Walk, a moment that still holds special meaning decades later “You don’t realise at the time the impact that the few cents that you raised makes I raised R158 and that was a lot of money at the time As a group we raised a substantial amount at the time

Meiring said he last took part in Blisters for Bread in 2018 when the event celebrated its 50th anniversary

“Myself and five other learners

who did the first walk joined We only did the 5km then But it was great catching up with everyone after so many years ”

Meiring encouraged people to lace up and do their bit

“Just do it It is for a worthy cause, ” he said Each R100 entry fee feeds a child both breakfast and lunch for a day Official event T-shirts are available at R150 Only online entries will be accepted, and participation is limited to 8 000 walkers . For enquiries,contact Top Events at info@topevents.co.za or WhatsApp on 066 139 4210 To register visit www psfa org za

Keepyourguardupagainstscammers

With scammers lurking at every corner and online, the South African Institute of Auctioneers (Saia) has issued a stern warning to the public to exercise extreme caution when searching for second hand goods, especially vehicles

Saia says more South Africans are increasingly finding themselves on the wrong side of a “well-oiled scam ” involving criminals cloning the websites and advertisements of legitimate auctioneers and banks and tricking unsuspecting buyers into paying hefty deposits for cars that don’t exist

The institute urges buyers to use company portals rather than finding vehicles on social media platforms It also warns buyers

to look out for red flags “When considering bidding for a vehicle buyers should also look for any red flags and remember if the car seems too cheap or the deal too good to be true, it probably is,” cautions the institute

Sonja Styger, Chief Administration Officer at Saia, says the scams most often originate on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, where cars are advertised well below market value and “reserved” for buyers willing to pay upfront However, she says under South African law no auction asset may be sold at a fixed price

“Yet these so-called sellers offer vehicles at predetermined prices and press buyers to pay a deposit

to avoid the car ‘going to auction’,” she says “It’s a blatant red flag as these scamsters know the general public may not understand how auctions work An auction doesn’t have a fixed price, the highest bid when the hammer falls determines the price ”

In many cases, cloned adverts feature photos of vehicles scraped from the internet Fraudsters pose as legitimate auctioneers with stolen branding and cloned websites right down to official-looking WhatsApp business accounts and email signatures

The big difference of course is the bank details they provide are fake and once the money clears the fraudsters disappear

THEREARECLEARWARNINGSIGNS:

.Payment requested via WhatsApp or direct bank transfer .No verifiable company registration or physical address .Poorly written ads with vague vehicle information

.No refundable deposit

Viewing any asset is imperative, never pay money over to anyone unless you have physically inspected an item and are completely satisfied with the condition of the asset

Stick to Saia-registered auctioneers and check any credentials on a verified list of members at www auctioneering co za, with contact details to verify any social media listing or auction advertisement

Bringbackvinylsandthesenseofcommunity

A JOURNO’S VOICE

Nostalgia: a sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition

In spite of the speed of modern life, it’s interesting to see our society still clutching to memories of the past through movie remakes, music sampling and even in our fashion trends we see today The general consensus seems to say we ’ re becoming more nostalgic and crave the glamour of the nineties and early two thousands or as some call it, the “Y2K” era

Whether l’m seeing punk piercings or Nike Air Max’s it still evokes a sense of comfort to simpler times for me, when we didn’t have to inspect a photo or video twice to ensure it wasn’t artificially generated It’s amusing to see the younger generations today donning the baggy clothing and oversized jeans we rocked in the nineties which for me seemed such a festive and celebratory decade

Those years Brit pop was ruling the airwaves, Manchester United dominated the Premier League, Hip-Hop and R&B were in their

golden age while films like Titanic and The Matrix packed theatres to the brim

Sadly, cinemas today seem like ghost towns unless audiences are queuing for remakes of action blockbusters like Jurassic Park or superhero movies and the endless sequels attached to them

The increasing movie ticket prices aren’t helping the situation either Now, most movies and series seem like poor regurgitations of the past trying to recapture the hype and fascination we once had when we saw Harry Potter as kids for the first time I understand, we crave stability and comfortability, when we worried less about our bills, the frightening technological innovations and how our companies are managing this crippling economy, these remakes could remind us of a time when we relaxed playing video games or hanging out with friends

In those days, when physical media still existed, our shelves were stacked with DVDs and even magazines Back when we listened to music and video stories where people could hang out, rent a movie, preview an album at the store before buying it and even making a friend or two out of a shared interest Sadly these stores have become

very rare I think people enjoy and yearn for a sense of community, a refuge from their stressful lives when they can congregate on a Saturday, switch off from the Internet, chat and find a friend who shares your passions

Instead it seems we ’ re becoming increasingly divided on various topics such as: politics, religion and gender Now it seems people are starting more “fan-clubs” dedicated to hating a certain group that doesn’t share their ideologies, now it seems trendier to troll and mock people and post it as funny content It brings me some joy to hear pop music mimicking the drums patterns of the Brit pop era and seeing the younger generations embracing it I just fear it if they could become stuck in reliving this aesthetic, instead of paving their own unique path and setting their own trends Interestingly, despite how many of us are using our cellphones for music, transport, reading the news, it’s nice to see book stores still thriving Of course, many still read books online but as you ’ ve heard before, it’s hard trying to replicate the comfort that paperback books ooze when it comes to the smell of the pages, the look of the font and even paging to a new chapter

Perhaps the overstimulation and fear we experience as citizens where we ’ re drowning in content, traumatic news, Al-generated media, it seems we hardly have a moment to be slowed down, relax and bask in the wonder of not always rushing to be informed on a certain topic You could scroll for days looking for a movie or series to binge on Netflix these days Who knows, maybe physical media could slowly make a comeback like the return of vinyls which soared in sales after the pandemic I still miss those days when you picked up an album by one of your favourite artists, gazed at the album art and reading the booklets to find out what musicians played on the record Back when you inserted the CD or let the needle hit the vinyl and allowed yourself to be transported by the music and even danced without having to text, be on Instagram or have multiple tabs open on your phone I think a quote from one of Tom Wait’s songs might suffice to capture our unease at the uncertainty the future poses and our addiction for simpler times, “ you wore the same kind of perfume you wore when we met, I suppose there’s something comforting in knowing what to expect”

Scouts sp

KEANANHARMSE

Agroup of Muizenberg Scouts spent their weekend spreading joy to the little ones at a crèche in Westlake by dropping off food parcels on Saturday 2 August

The 1st Muizenberg Sea Scout group dropped off 110 jars of hope towards the Women of Westlake Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre and non-profit organisation(NPO)

Jars of Hope contain dry soup ingredients that can be cooked into a nutritious meal, including rice, lentils, soup mix, a stock cube, and soup powder

The ingredients are layered in a jar, and when cooked with water they provide a hearty meal

Margaret became a museum volunteer in 2017

She has a keen interest in the growth of the valley and has been able to assist many people who visit the museum, curious to find out the history of their houses or businesses

“The Talk will cover the valley, so not just fish Hoek, but extending to Peers Cave and across the valley to Kommetjie The presentation is for the monthly meeting of the Fish Hoek Valley Historical Society and will be about Valley Women and is specifically timed to co-incide with Women’s Month,” said Gundry

In her time at the museum, Margaret has researched some of Fish Hoek’s early families and where they lived

“I have researched the Wakefords, the Balls, the Mossops, the Mullers, the De Villiers family, the Rice family, the Jones family Even the Greenlands And the Peers family While many locals are familiar with the many formidable women of the 1900’s and 2000’s, few people realise that the valley has had its share of interesting women long before then - this talk will

focus on the era before 1900,” she said “Fish Hoek Man was a skull found at Peers Cave (formerly Schildersgat) in the ridge above Sun Valley It became world famous with archaeologists in the 1930s because of its age - it was then dated at 15 000 years old However, radiocarbon dating conducted by Cape Town scientists (Stynder et al , 2009) on the actual human remains showed that Fish Hoek Man dates to just over 7 000 years ago, making it one of the oldest known skeletons in the region but far younger than initially thought With all this talk about Fish Hoek Man, what about the first women of the valley who stood at his side?” said Maude

The earliest landowners in the Fish Hoek Valley were women and Gundry’s presentation will also focus on the lives of Christina Diemer and a few more notable women of the valley

To attend the talk visitors will have to pay R30 while museum members will be charged R20 at the door The talk starts at 18:00

.Contact Maude at curator.fishhoekvalleymuseum@gmail.com.

A Lifesavers put through test

Children’s vaccination underway

The second round of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign is currently underway, and the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness encourages all parents to be on the lookout and sign consent forms that will be sent home with the learners.

As part of the campaign the National Department of Health has ordered that Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (TDaP) vaccine boosters be administered to all eligible children (boys and girls) This initiative aims to boost protection against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough It also helps prevent outbreaks and supports ongoing school-based vaccination

The vaccine does not contain any live virus or DNA from the virus so it cannot cause cancer or other HPV-related illnesses It does not affect fertility and it’s also not used to treat HPV infections or diseases caused by HPV, but instead prevent the development of cancers The drive kicked off on Friday 1 August and will continue until Tuesday 30 September

DURINGTHISPERIOD,HEALTHTEAMSWILLVISIT PUBLICANDPRIVATESCHOOLSTOPROVIDETHE

FOLLOWINGVACCINATIONS:

. HPV vaccine (single dose): Offered to eligible Grade 5, 6 and 7 girls in private schools, with consent

. Catch-up HPV vaccinations: Girls who

HPV VACCINE PREVENTS DEVELOPMENT OF CERVICAL CANCER

missed the HPV vaccine during the first round in February/March will have another chance to get their dose with consent at public schools

. Tdap booster vaccine: Administered to all boys and girls in Grade 5 across public and private schools, with consent

Sr Lucille Davids, Dr Abdurahman Community Health Clinic School Nurse, said there are many misconceptions around the vaccine

“We are aware that our communities are unsure and have concerns about the vaccine However, nursing sisters are qualified to administer the HPV vaccine, and we can provide health information to educate parents and caregivers ”

Enrolled Nurse Zama Angel, school nurse at Nyanga Community Day Clinic, said there have been very little concerns about the vaccine campaign and encouraged parents to have their children vaccinated to prevent cervical cancer

Some children may have mild side-effects such as some redness, swelling or pain on the injection spot, a mild fever or fatigue

“These usually go away within a day or two,” says the department “Serious reactions are rare If you ’ re worried about how your child reacts, please speak to your clinic or doctor ”

CityHealthfostershepatitispreventionawareness

Against the backdrop of World Hepatitis Day celebrated on Monday 28 July, the City of Cape Town’s Health Department is ramping-up efforts to raise awareness of the condition, particularly its prevention and early detection as well as safe hygiene habits

Over the last two years City Health has completed more than 900 community projects, covering everything from hand-washing to food safety, to dismantle the barriers that fuel hepatitis’ spread and the stigma surrounding it

This year ’ s theme, “Let’s break it down”, calls on all sectors of society to take urgent action in the fight to eliminate the disease “Hepatitis is a leading cause of liver cancer and the numbers are climbing,” said Francine Higham, Mayco member for community services and health “The disease is both preventable and treatable, yet many people don’t even know they’re infected Our goal is to drive home the importance of regular testing, vaccination and good hygiene Simple practices such as hand-washing can go a long way in protecting your health ”

HEPATITIS:AHIDDENTHREAT

According to the department around 6,7% of South Africans are infected with hepatitis B, yet many remain unaware of their status Hepatitis B and C are transmitted through close contact with blood or bodily fluids, through unprotected sex, sharing needles during drug use and mother-to-child transmission during birth or breastfeeding

In contrast, hepatitis A spreads via contaminated food, water and poor hand hygiene

Symptoms can include fatigue, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), dark urine, stomach pain, fever and nausea, but some people show no signs at all until the liver is already damaged

WHATYOUCANDO:

. Prevent hepatitis A by washing your hands after using the toilet and rinsing fresh produce with clean water

. Prevent hepatitis B and C by using condoms and never sharing needles

If you use intravenous drugs visit one of the City’s eight Matrix® clinics for support, sites are located in Tafelsig, Albow Gardens, Delft South, Eerste River, Town 2 (Khayelitsha), Parkwood, Scottsdene and Ruimte Road (Manenberg)

Vaccinate your children routine hepatitis B vaccinations are free at all City Health facilities

“Routine vaccination has significantly reduced the threat of hepatitis B,” Higham said “We’ve also made strides in treating hepatitis C Anyone with concerns should reach out to their nearest clinic for confidential testing and support ” Cape Town residents are encouraged to make use of free health services at clinics across the city . For more information visit your nearest facility or contact City Health

Enemyno1oftenhiddenin home’screvices–mould

Fungal spores are all around us, and mould can quickly develop in damp areas of the home, often unnoticed and out of sight

Dr Raisa Bhikoo, a pulmonologist and specialist physician practising at Netcare N1 City Hospital, says awareness and prevention should be a priority for all, as prolonged exposure to mould can potentially lead to long-term health

effects

Bhikoo warns that mould exposure, particularly in poorly ventilated indoor environments, can lead to a variety of health symptoms

“It’s noteworthy that while mould can trigger symptoms in many people, the severity and type of reaction can vary widely depending on an individual’s health status and level of exposure ”

The doctor says even without a formal diagnosis, constant low-grade symptoms such as fatigue, coughing or sinus pressure can take a toll on daily functioning and mental well-being

COMMONMOULD-RELATEDSYMPTOMSINCLUDE:

. Upper respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat and sinus pressure

. Lower respiratory symptoms, including coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness, are especially common in people with asthma or chronic lung disease

. Eye, skin, and throat irritation, which may feel like a burning or itching sensation

. Exacerbation of asthma or allergic rhinitis: Individuals with pre-existing respiratory allergies or asthma may experience worsened symptoms or more frequent attacks

. Fatigue and general malaise have also been reported in individuals with prolonged mould exposure, albeit difficult to attribute directly

Bhikoo says ongoing mould exposure can lead to persistent sinus or airway inflammation, resulting in chronic sinusitis, nasal polyps or new-onset allergic rhinitis She says people with certain underlying health conditions – particularly asthma, allergies, or weakened immune systems – are at higher risk of experiencing health issues related to mould exposure

MOULDEXPOSURECANBEWORSEFORPEOPLE WITH:

. Asthma: Mould spores can be a trigger, causing increased wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing or asthma attacks Often chronic exposure makes asthma uncontrollable

. Allergic rhinitis or sinusitis: People with allergies, especially to airborne particles like dust mites or pollen, are more likely to develop symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing, postnasal drip and itchy eyes

. Weakened immune systems: This includes individuals undergoing chemotherapy, those with HIV, transplant recipients or people on long-term immune-suppressing medications

. Chronic lung conditions: Individuals with conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or bronchiectasis may also be more susceptible, as mould can exacerbate inflammation and infection susceptibility She says early intervention can prevent complications from mould exposure and significantly improve quality of life

TIPSFORTACKLINGMOULDINTHEHOME

Limit your exposure:

. Stay out of the affected area, if possible, especially if you have asthma, allergies or a weakened immune system

. If you must enter the area, wear a well-fitted N95 mask and gloves to avoid inhaling mould spores or touching contaminated surfaces

IMPROVEVENTILATION:

. Mould thrives in damp, stagnant environments, so improving ventilation can help slow its growth Open windows and use fans

. Use a dehumidifier if the air feels damp, ideally keeping indoor humidity below 50%

IDENTIFYANDSTOPTHESOURCEOFMOISTURE:

. Mould cannot grow without moisture Check for leaks in roofs, pipes, windows or walls, and address them immediately

. If there’s flooding or water damage, dry the affected areas within 24 to 48 hours

CLEANSMALLAREASSAFELY:

. Small mould patches on hard surfaces can be cleaned with soap and water or diluted bleach (1 cup bleach to 3,7 litres of water)

. Avoid cleaning porous materials, such as carpets or ceiling tiles, which one can replace

CONSULTPROFESSIONALS:

. If the mould covers more than about 1 m² or if it returns contact a mould-remediation specialist, who can remove it and identify hidden sources of moisture or growth (eg behind walls or under floors) “If you develop respiratory symptoms, skin irritation or worsening asthma see a doctor,” Bhikoo says “Early treatment and removal from exposure can prevent long-term effects ”