People’s Post False Bay E-edition 21 April 2026

Tributeshavepouredinfollowing thepassing of thelateco-founderof Masicorp,JohnMoreThompson, whoselife’sworkhelpedtransform the community of Masiphumelele through educationand opportunity.

Thompson died on Monday 30 Marchafter a long illness.

Whilehis deathmarks theend of an era, the organisation he builtalongside hiswife, Carol Thompson,continues to uplift thousandsof residentseachyear.

BREAKTHECYCLEOFPOVERTY

Masicorp (Masiphumelele Corporation) is a non-profitorganisation(NPO) foundedin1999 that provides educationand skills development

to education, skills and opportunity

to residentsofMasiphumelele

Theirmission is to breakthe cycleofpoverty by providingopportunitiesfromearly childhood developmenttoadult training

In February this year,the NPOcreated up to 60 handcraftedschool tracksuits whichwere donatedtolearnersofUkanyoPrimary School, whowereaffectedbythe devastating firesthat ravagedthe MasiphumeleleareaonMonday 5February(“NPO’s restoredignity”, People’s Post,10February)

Born in theUnitedKingdom (UK),Thompson spentmuchofhis adultlifeinthe United States of America(USA) with hisfamily. However, it

ng ng appe potentialwithinthe community.Ratherthan focusing solely on need,Thompsonbelievedin empowering people throughaccess to education,skills andopportunity. This philosophy became thefoundationofMasicorp.

PRACTICALINTERVENTIONS

In itsearly years, theorganisationfocused on practicalinterventions,including building more than 20 homesand establishing alibrary.Italso supported learners in accessing betterschooling andtertiaryeducation opportunities. Over time,Masicorphas grownintoa wide-reachingdevelopment platform Today, itsprogrammesinclude earlychildhood developmentthrough preschools, support forprimary educationinmaths,literacyand science, teachertraining, andcomputerskills development.

BRITISHEMPIRE

Thosewho worked closelywithThompsondescribe himasa hands-on leader whoremained deeply involved in theorganisation’swork. ElizeTaylor, whoworkedclosely with Thompsonand Carolsince 2005,saidhewas “an incredible humanbeing whowas passionately driven to help thecommunity of Masiphumelele”. “Hewillbegreatly missed, buthis legacy will standinthe homesofthe many Masi residents, scholars andbursary students who benefitedfromhis work,” shesaid.

In recognitionofhis contribution,Thompson wasawarded aMemberofthe Most Excellent Orderofthe BritishEmpire(MBE) in 2024 forhis serviceand long-termimpactwithina Commonwealthcommunity

Nominated againforWTA

Table Mountain hasonceagain been nominatedasAfrica’sLeading TouristAttraction at theprestigious WorldTravelAwards, andvotershave untilFriday17Julytocasttheir votes andhelpthe iconic landmark secure anothertitle.

Oftendescribed as thetravelindustry’s versionofthe Oscars,the WorldTravelAwards recogniseexcellenceacrossthe global travel, tourismand hospitalitysectors andhavedone so forthe past 33 years.

TheiconicCapeTownlandmarkhas already claimedthe title five timesin2014, 2019,2020, 2021 and2022and is nowhopingtoadd another wintoits record this year

Wahida Parker,ManagingDirectorofTable Mountain Aerial Cableway,saidthisnomination is aproud moment forCapeTownand SouthAfrica.

“Table Mountain is more than alandmark. It is asymbolofour naturalheritageand aworldclassattractionthatcontinues to inspirevisitors from across theglobe.Every vote is an opportunity to show theworld what this destination meanstous.”

.To vote visit www.worldtravelawards.com/ vote.Selectthe Africaregion and choose Table Mountain as Africa’sLeading Tourist Attraction.

IT IS ASYMBOL OF OUR NATURAL HERITAGEAND A WORLD-CLASSATTRACTION

Lifeguardstakingawell-deservedbreather

TheCityofCapeTownhas endedits seasonal lifeguarddeployment, reportinga drop in drowning fatalities during the2025-’26summerseason.

TheCityhas confirmed that seasonal lifeguard contractsended on Tuesday7 April, with beach andpool safety operations nowshiftinginto winter readinessand maintenance.

Community swimming poolshaveclosedfor thewinterseason. However, indoor facilities at Retreat, Blue Downs, Long Street,Strand, and theSea Pointswimming pool remain open yearroundfor public use.

TheCitysaidthe past summerrecordedthe lowest number of fataldrownings in seven years.

Therewerenofatal or non-fataldrownings at municipalswimming poolsduringthe season

Alongdesignatedbathing areasalong the coast, therewerenofatal drownings, while38 non-fatalincidents were recorded

TheCitysaidthese outcomes were significantly reduceddue to swiftinterventions by lifeguards,bystanders, andrescuepartners.

However, nine fataldrownings were recorded alongCapeTown’scoastline

Allweremale, with twoteenagersamong the victimsand theremainder youths andadults over theage of 18

“CapeTownexperienced yetanother bumper

There’ssomething quietly confrontingabout realising we’renearly five months into theyear.

Time hasa wayofslippingpast whilewe’re busy managing theeveryday challenges like stayingupto date with emails,jugglingresponsibilities,and thoseunexpected setbacks

Andsomewhere in between, thosegoals we setwithclarity and intentionatthe startofthe year begintofadeintothe background I’ve neverbeen afan of New Year’s resolutions. They oftenfeel toorigid,too performative.But

summer, with hundreds of thousandsofvisitors to ourbeaches andswimming pools,”saidMayco member forcommunity services andhealth, Francine Higham

“Wewould like to extend oursincerest gratitude to thelifeguardswho worked tirelesslyto keep everyone safe,inspite of thechallenges that come with watersafety,”she said

TheCitysaidfocus nowshiftstomaintenance andupgradesoffacilitiesahead of thenext

goals? That’s different. Goalsare personal.They’re deliberate.They come from aplace of wantingmore growth,morediscipline, more meaning.

Andassomeone whothrives on structure, I’ve always found comfortinlists.There’s aunique satisfaction in writingsomething down,working toward it,and eventually tickingitoff.It’sa small butpowerful acknowledgment of progress.

Buthere’sthe uncomfortable question:are we actually making time forthose goals?

It’s easy to convince ourselves that we’llget to them “whenthings calm down”. Afterthisbusyweek Afterthisstressful project. After life feelsa bitmoremanageable. Theproblem is that life rarely slowsdownonits own. Therewill

summerseason. It is midway througha fiveyear programme to improve37publicswimming pools, with further upgrades planned.

AproposedR20 million investment forthe 2026-’27 financialyearhas also been tabled to ensure facilities remain safe,accessible, and readyfor peak season.The City’s recreation and parksdepartmenturged thepublictoremain vigilant at beaches, obey warningsignage,and understand waterrisks when swimming

always be anotherdemand, another distraction, anotherreasonto postpone what matters to us Dailychallenges arepersistent. They don’tpolitelystepaside to make room forour ambitions. If anything,theyexpandto fill everyavailable gap. So,ifwedon’t intentionally carveout time forour goals, they simply don’thappen. Andthat’swhere many of us,me included,get stucknot because we lack motivation,but because we underestimatehow easily our priorities getreshuffled

We startthe year focused, but withoutconsistentaction, even themostmeaningful goalslose momentum

This isn’tabout guilt. It’s about awareness. If anything,thispoint in theyear is an opportunity. Amomentto

pausenot to criticiseourselves, buttoreassess. What stillmatters? What have we neglected? And more importantly, what arewe willing to do differentlymoving forward?

Becausethe truthis, tickingoff a goal doesn’tcomefromwaiting for theperfect moment.Itcomes from choosing, repeatedly,toshowup foritevenwhenit’sinconvenient. Even when theday feelstoo full. Thelists we make aren’t just collections of tasks. They’rereflectionsofwhatwevalue.And if somethingistruly importanttous, it deserves more than leftover time So maybethe question isn’t whetherwe’ve been toobusy. Maybeit’swhether we’vebeen intentionalenough. There’sstill time.Eight months to be exact. But only if we decide to useit.

MetroPolicecadets‘test

fitness’with US Marines

KEANANHARMSE

The presence of United States of America(USA) MarinesonMuizenbergBeach hassparked politicaldebate, with questionsbeing raised aboutthe legality andoversight of the arrangement.

TheUSA Marineswererecentlyspotted training Cape Town MetroPoliceCadetsfrom theCity’sPublicSafetyTrainingCollege (PTSC) in what theCitydescribed as aonce-off “fitness exercise”withthe Marinesbased at theUSA ConsulateinCapeTown.

Accordingtothe City,thiswas a fitnessexercise andan“opportunityfor officers to experience Marine-style fitnessdrills”.

“The City has, in recent years, as part of itsexpansionofthe PSTC,started placinga stronger emphasis on physical fitnessofenforcement services,withongoing assessments of alllevels of staff,” said theCity’smayco member forsafety andsecurity, JP Smith.

Theengagementwiththe USAMarines was “aninformalarrangementwhere staff could measuretheir fitnessstandards againstthatof anotherentity”,addedSmith

“Itwas nota formal training engagement andthere wasnocostinvolvedtothe City as theMarines arebased in Cape Town,attheir Consulate. It must be notedthatthe City has engagedwithcitiesand governmentsacross theworld to learnabout,oridentifywaysin whichweare able to improveour ownabilities,” he said.Smith notedthatthe City hasheld similarengagements in recent years, including thehosting atrainingcourseinApril 2024 on

Ascreenshotofavideothat showcasedthe fitness exercise conducted by the United States Marinesfor theCapeTownMetro Police cadets from theCityof Cape Town’sPublic Safety Training College(PTSC) on MuizenbergBeach. PHOTO:SUPPLIED

cyberforensics for firstresponders, that was presentedbyexperts in the fieldfromFrance andAustralia,and amulti-agencyworkshopin February 2023 on kidnapping andextortion, presentedbyrepresentatives from theUnited Kingdom(UK)and USA, includingthe Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI)

However, thenewsofthe exercise should not merely be “brushed off as asimple‘fitnesssession’and raises seriouslegal,governanceand accountability concerns,” said GOOD councillor Jonathan Cupido.“MunicipalpolicinginSouth Africa is nota free-for-all. TheConstitution is clearthatmunicipal police services must operatewithina national legislativeframework, andthe SouthAfrican Police ServiceAct makes it equallyclear that theNationalCommissioner

IT WASNOT AFORMAL TRAINING ENGAGEMENT AND THERE WASNO COST TO THE CITYASTHE MARINESARE BASED HERE

determines thestandards andtrainingapplicabletomunicipal police.The City does nothave theauthority to improvisetrainingarrangementsoutside of that framework,”Cupidosaid. He feelsthe City hasmanyquestions to answer if this exercise couldbecomean“international cooperation”

“Under what legalauthority were US Marines involved in training amunicipal police service? Wasthisauthorisedorapproved by theNational Commissioner of police?Was this strictly limitedtophysicaltraining, or diditextendinto policing functions,” Cupido asked.

He said:“Cape Town alreadyhas accredited training structures forits lawenforcement and MetroPolice”.“If theCitynow requires foreign military involvementtotrain itsofficers,then somethingisfundamentally wrongwithits ownsystems.Moreimportantly,thiscreates a dangerousblurring of linesbetween military structures andcivilianpolicing, something ourconstitutionalframework is deliberately designed to prevent. Residentsare notasking forbeach drills andPRmoments.Theyare asking forsafer communities, visiblepolicing, functioning investigations andrealconsequences forcriminals,” he said

FROMPAGE1

SibongiseniNqindi, an alumnusfromMasicorp, said Thompson hasinspiredher to keep his spirit alivethrough hercommunity work

“WhenI look at theyoung soulsinmyclass, I picturemyselfabout 17 yearsago,whenI came to meet with John andCarol.I wasaccepted to studyatthe University of theWestern Cape (UWC)but hadnoregistrationfunds at the time.Through Masicorp,Johnand Carolhelped me to fundmystudies andI am nowthe Deputy Headmaster at Fairdale High School.Today I am whoI am becauseofthe choice that John andCarol made,” shesaid.

Busi Ngcwane, aMasicorpscholar,saidJohn andCarol have allowedher to walk “through thegates of opportunityand into schoolsthat once felt outofreach”. MeganPringle,Masicorp spokesperson,saidtoday hislegacylives on in themanylives changedthrough educationand opportunity.

“Fromyoung children in preschoolstostudentspursuinghighereducation,the reachof hisworkcontinues to be felt across Masiphumelele

“While he will be remembered as avisionary leader,those closesttohim sayhis greatest achievementliesinthe enduring impact of the opportunitieshehelpedcreate,”she said

Festival givesfirst-handinsight

The SouthAfrican Navy pulledout allthe stopsand hosted an unforgettable displayofmilitaryprowess anddisciplinewhenitopened itsdoorstothe public forthis year’s SA Navy Festival,which took placefromFriday17to Sunday 19 Aprilatthe East Dockyard in Simon’sTown.

Despitethe wetweather,the much-anticipated annual eventdrew thousandsofvisitorsand offered an engaging andeducational experience, providinga rare glimpseintothe innerworkingsofthe Navy

Theevent showcasedthe Navy’s fleet,personneland heritage,while strengtheningpublicunderstanding of itsrole.

Thefestivalaimed to bridge this gap by giving thepublic first-hand insight into navaloperations, capabilities andcareer opportunities.

Theprogramme wasexpandedto appeal to awideaudience, including families,maritimeenthusiasts and youngpeopleconsidering afuturein

theNavy.

Highlights included guided fleet tours, wherevisitorsboarded selected navalvessels andexploreda Type 209submarine underthe guidance of trainedpersonnel.

Military precisiondisplaysdrew crowds,withperformancesbydrill teams, Officers’Sword Drillunits and SeaCadetsshowcasingdisciplineand skill. Thenight-shoot firing display offered adramaticspectacle under theevening sky. Entertainmentalso played akey role,withliveperformances by theSANavyBandadding to thefestive atmosphere

Visitors enjoyedcapabilityexhibitions, includingsearchand rescue demonstrations and firefighting displays

Families were cateredfor with food stalls,artsand crafts,and dedicated children’s entertainmentareas,ensuring alivelyand inclusiveenvironment forall ages

Thefestivalran daily, encouraging thepublictolearn more aboutthe Navy’s contribution to national security andprosperity.

NGOofferslifelinefor teen moms

THULANIMAGAZI

Astaggering 5269 teenagepregnancies were recorded at healthcare facilities ownedbythe WesternCape Department of Health andWellness across theCapemetropole between April last year andFebruarythisyear.

This is significantly higher than the1 230cases recorded at theCityofCapeTownfacilities last year.These figuresrevealworryingtrend as theprovinceand thecountry continue to battle thescourge of teenagepregnancy

Howeverone organisation,Intyatyambo YesizweTeenMom Organisation,isworking tirelesslytohelpthe youngmothers in various communities to builda brighter futurefor themselves andtheir children whiletryingto reverseanadolescenttrend that is on therise. City’s Maycomemberfor community services andhealthFrancineHighamsaidthe City’s figuresshowa 1,2% increase from theprevious year

“Thisincreaseinteenage pregnanciesforms part of atrend that hasbeen observed over the past fewyears,” explainedHighamrecently. “These pregnanciescan be at higher risk for medicalcomplications andhavea significant socioeconomicimpactfor both themothers and theirfamilies.”

Establishedin2019, IntyatyamboYesizwe workswithteenage mothers, aged 13 to 22 by equipping them with essentiallifeskills,confidencebuildingand support so they canthrive independentlyand raisehappy andhealthy childre.

Amongother services,the organisation offers stress management andemotional support, career guidance,life-skills training as well as telephoneand in-personcounselling to the youngmothers IntyatyamboYesizwe worksand conducts sessions in variouscommunities,including Khayelitsha, Philippi,Delft,Mfuleniand

5269 TEENAGE

Mitchells Plainand recently startedworking in Gqeberha

NtombesizweBasso,founder of theorganisation, said many younggirls continuedto suffer at home andinsociety whenever they fell pregnant.She said they areoften ridiculedby theirown parentsand relatives, whichbreaks them emotionally andmentally.Mostofthese youngmothers often find themselves between a rock anda hard placeastheytry to rebuildtheir lives, Bassosaid.

In an interviewwith People’s Post Basso said shecouldn’tjustfoldher arms andwatch as many youngpeoplefellpregnant, in some instanceswithnosupport or meanstoraise their newborns

As avolunteer counselloratFamiliesSouth Africa (Famsa)and aSocialSciencesGraduate with Majors in Psychology andCommunication, Basso witnessedyoung motherssitting with theirchildrenonstreetcorners andpavements in herimmediatecommunities of Mandalay, Khwezi andBongweni. Shedecided to take action whilevisitinga clinic in Mitchells Plain as aFamsa volunteer

During thevisit Basso sawteen moms who had“lost hope”and requestedtotalktothem, sheexplained

Whileshe hada session with thegroup sherealised most of them were tooembarrassedand shytospeak.“Iexplained my purposetothem, andasI gotdeeper into theirstories Irealised some of them hadnofamilysupport.”

Basso learnedthistrend prevailedonvisitingvarious clinicsaroundCapeTown, which inducedher to find an organisation geared towardsarrestingthe trend, butalsotogivethe

necessary supportwhereveritwas needed.She establishedvarious clubsindifferentcommunities.The clubsoffer teen mothersanopportunity to speakopenlyabout theirchallenges anda chance to rebuildtheir lives.

Withoutany financialsupport Basso uses her ownmoney to fundthe programme.She also relies heavilyonvarious communityfacilities.

“Weuse resourcesaroundustoequip these youngmoms. Iidentified thelibrary as asafe spacefor them.Ithas resourcesand there they have access to books. So we liaisedwith thelibraries.Theyalsohaveinternetfacilities andother useful resources. We invitedpeople, includingcouncillors,tomotivatethese young women.

“Weteach them to be independentand not be ashamedoftheir background.Wealsofocus on mental health andinvited clinicians to work with them.The vision is to help ensure theirlife chancesand spiritsdonot differ from thoseof theircontemporaries. We envision afuturefor them andwantthemtocontinuedreaming.”

Shepointed outthatvarious factors, including poverty, arefactors in most of thepregnancy cases. Theyoungestchild Basso worked with was12years old.

“These arerapecases andoften we letthe lawtakeiscourse.”She encouraged parents to be open with theirchildren. “Weasparents must be friendswithour children.Wemustbe parentswho talk freely with them.Wemust educatethemabout sexand therisks associated with it.”

ChumaMakhala (20),a youngmom from Mfuleni, joined IntyatyamboYesizwe when she was five-monthspregnantand gave birthon Thursday 26 March. Shepraised theorganisation forthe crucialroleitplayed.

Sheinitially wanted to abortthe foetus.However,numeroussessionswiththe organisation changedher mind

“I realised therewereother girlswithmore seriousproblemsthanmine.”

Makhalasaidthe organisation boostedher confidencefor shehad people to turn to.“Iwas

PREGNANCIESINMETRO LAST YEAR Introtalkonfamily-history

emotionally drained, my relationship with my mother wasnon-existent. Iwantedtoabort, butthe organisation encouraged me to keep the child. Iwas also prepared to leavemybabyat thehospital.”

Thanks to thesupport shereceivedfromIntyatyamboYesizwe todayshe is ahappy mother building astrongbondwithher newbornchild Milisa Masiso (23),another youngmother andanalumnaofthe organisation,praised Teen Moms forchangingher life.She is one whooften motivatesthe youngmothers.She said shefaced many challenges,including lack of support from thosefromwhomshe needed it most

Things begantochangeafter Masiso joined theorganisation. “Besides thesense of belongingfrombeing part of thegroup andother nice packsthatcomes with it themainfocus is to promoistobeabletopromote personal growth andindependenceaswellasempower forthe youngmothers to be able to providefor themselves as well as theirlittleonesthrough employment of furtheringtheir studiesorstartingtheir ownbusinesses.”

MoniqueJohnstone,spokespersonfor the WesternCapeDepartmentofHealthand Wellness, said they welcomeany form of intervention to root outteenagepregnancy

“Weappreciate thevital role played by community organisations, families,and educators in raisingawareness andempoweringteenagers to make informed decisionsabout theirsexual andreproductivehealth. Thedepartment continuestostrengthenpreventionand support efforts throughaccessiblesexualhealth, contraception, andfamilyplanning services,including dedicatedYouth Zonesatour clinics. These spaces provideconfidential, youth-friendly care,offeringsexualhealth, mental health,and broaderwellnesssupport to ensure teenagers arenot left behind andare supported to thrive,” shesaid.

. Formoreinformation,or to help,contact Bassoon063 0074609 or emailher at ntombile. basso@gmail.com.

researchinthehi-techage

KEANANHARMSE

TheFishHoekValleyFamilyHistory Club will host itsnextmonthly meetingtoday (21April), at theFishHoekLibrary Hall at 18:00and invitesresidents with an interest in tracingtheir rootstoattend

Theclub, anew initiative establishedin partnershipwiththe Fish Hoek ValleyMuseum, aims to create awelcoming spacefor anyone curiousabout genealogy, whethertheyare beginners or experiencedresearchers Meetings areheldonthe thirdTuesday of everymonth andare open to thepublicatnocost.

This month’smeetingwillfeature aspecial guestspeaker,Anne Johnsonfromthe Northof IrelandFamilyHistory Society. Shewillpresent an introductory talk on howDNA testingcan be used as apowerful tool in family-history research

Johnsonwillexplore howDNA evidence can complement traditionalresearchmethods such as census recordsand parish registers. While historical documentshelptrace names, dates andlocations,DNA testingcan confirm biological relationships, reveal previously unknown ancestorsand help overcome obstacleswhere writtenrecords areincompleteormissing

Ireland, in particular,has become aleaderin this fielddue to thelossofsignificant historical records, includingmany19th-centurywills and census documentsdestroyed during thePublic Record Office fire.Asa result researchershave increasingly turned to genetictoolstoreconstruct family historiesand reconnect family lines.

Johnsonwillalsointroduce thoseinattendancetoWikiTree, an online platform that allows userstobuild anddocumenttheir family trees collaboratively.The platform emphasises theuse of reliable sourcesand offersaccess to aglobalcommunity of genealogists whocan provideguidance, corrections andnew insights AccordingtoJohnson,combining DNAresults with historical recordsenables researchersto builda more accurate andcompletepicture of theirancestry. It canalsoconnect individuals with living relativeswho mayholdvaluable information, photographsorfamilystories Theorganisersencourage anyone interested in family historytoattend andlearn more about thetoolsand techniques available.

.Forfurtherinformation residents cancontact the organisers viaemail at curator.fishhoekvalleymuseum@gmail.com.