People's Post Grassy Park/Retreat E-edition 20 January 2026

me alive

verwhelming

When we areconstantlypushing withoutpause, creativity fades, focusweakens,and motivation becomesforced.

On theother hand,whenrestisbuilt into ourroutines, we show up with more clarity, patience,and energy.Wemakebetterdecisions, manage stress more effectively,and remain consistent rather than collapsinghalfway throughthe journey.

This year,I want to redefine productivity Productivity does notmeandoing more at the cost of my health.Itmeans doingwhatmatters well, with intention.

Rest canlook differentfor everyone,itmight be getting enough sleep,takingbreakswithout guilt, setting boundaries,unplugging from constant noise, or simply allowing yourself momentsofstillness.

Life oftenthrowsunexpectedchallenges our way, andduringthose moments, taking extra care of ourselvesbecomes essential. I’ve come to realisethatprioritisingmywell-beingisnot selfish,it’snecessary.Wecan’t pour from an emptycup

As Iget older, I’malsolearningtolet go of fomo (the fear of missing out)

Insteadoffeelingpressuredtobeeverywhere anddoeverything, I’membracing jomo (the joyofmissing out).There is peaceinchoosing rest,boundaries, andwhattruly aligns with me, rather than constantly chasingwhatI mightbe missing

By honouringrest, we also practise self-respect. We acknowledgethatour worthisnot measured by howtired we areorhow much we sacrifice

Instead, it is reflectedinhow well we care for ourselveswhile pursuing ourgoals Forme, this year is notabout rushingtothe finish line;it’sabout building alifethatissustainable,fulfilling,and healthy.

Rest isn’tsomething I’ll turn to only when I’m exhausted. It will be part of my dailydiscipline becausedoing theworkalsomeans knowing when to pause.

FROMPAGE1

Maycomemberfor waterand sanitation Zahid Badroodienconfirmed that thewater supply disruption wasdue to thevandalising of valves in theCafda valvechamber near Lavender Hill. Thevalvesmanagewater supply to theaffected areas.

“The initialincidentofvandalism wasattended to.Unfortunately,a secondaryleakarose that needed to be repaired afterthe initialissue wasresolved,”Badroodienexplained.Oncethe vandalismwas discovered,the City conducted emergencyrepairs to thedamaged 500mmand 600mmdiametervalves. Repairswerecompleted that Friday evening, with thesecondary leak fixedonSaturday, allowing watersupply restorationlater that day.

Watertankers were deployed during theoutage, andresidents were givenadvance notice to storewater before suppliesweretemporarily shut down forsafetyduringrepairs

“The City informed thepublicbeforework

startedtogiveresidents time to storewater before thesupplywas temporarilyshutdownto ensure work couldcommencesafely. We thank residentsfor theirpatiencewhile work wastakingplace.Wealsothank thewardcouncillors fortheir help,including keepingtheir communities updatedonthe progress of this work and informationfor tanker locations,”headded

COUNCILLORSDEMANDACTION

Ward 65 CouncillorDonovan Nelson,whose entire Ward wasleftwithout water, described theexperienceasa “verydifficult twodays” for thecommunity.“Whilemostresidents were patientand understood,itdid nothelpknowing that this couldhavebeen preventedifthieves didnot tryand stealCityequipment,” Nelson said.Heemphasisedthe need forbetterinfrastructuresecurityand continuedinvestmentin replacementbulkwater pipestoprevent future incidents.

Ward 68 councillorMaritaPetersencalled

fora more aggressive approach to tackling vandalism, revealingthe repair costsamounted to millionsofrand. “I thinkweneed to take a more cut-throat approach to vandalismand property damage,” Petersen said.“So many residentswereaffectedand obviously were not prepared forthe extended days of nothaving waterinthe taps.”

Petersen urgedresidents to overcome their reluctance to report perpetrators,highlighting theanonymous reportingsystemavailable Shealsosuggested authoritiesshould“zoom in on thescrapyards” as part of anti-vandalism efforts

INFRASTRUCTURESTRAINCONCERNS

Grassy Park resident TerenceKlassenraised deeper questionsabout thearea’sinfrastructure capacity,suggestingthe problems extend beyond vandalism.

“Weare concernedthatthe infrastructure is giving in,” he said.“When massive under-

ground valves give in,one just wondersifit’s notbecause thesystemisunder massive strain duetorapidly expandingdensification.” He attributed increasedpressure on infrastructure to people beingpushedout of thecitytothe Cape Flatsdue to gentrification,arguing that fixing oneweakspotsimplyshiftsthe problem elsewhereinthe system

“Cityplanners need to seriouslylook at the carryingcapacityofour electricityand water supplyaswellasroads before passing anydevelopmentinour areas,”Klassenadded. TheCity’sWater andSanitationDirectorate strongly condemnedthe vandalism, calling it criminal action that hampersservice delivery “Weneed thecommunity’s help to root out vandalismbecause it negatively affects our communities,” theCitystated. . Residents areurged to report theft and vandalismincidents to the Public EmergencyCommunication Centreon021 480 7700 or usethe 24-hour tip-off line on 0800 110 077.

Z Cla

Startstudy early,warn achievers

KEANANHARMSE

HeathfieldHighSchool hasreasontocelebrate as theirClass of 2025 deliveredimpressive matric results, with severallearnersachieving outstandingacademicsuccess andsecuring university placements

This year theschool obtained a89,9% pass rate,showcasinga significant improvement compared to last year’s 73,5%average,said school principal, NadiaAanhuizen whois beamingwithpride

Heathfieldsecured 67 Bachelor passes, 55 diplomas and30highercertificates.

This year Jordan Kroutz wascrowned as the school’s topacademiclearner with sixdistinctions.

Second highestachieverSlindokuhle Prusent achieved an excellent 76,6%average,excelling across multiple subjects with particularly strong performances in history(88%), consumer studies(78%),and mathematical literacy (76%). CayddJantjiesand SamkeloMlithashared thirdplace honours.

DIVERSECAREERASPIRATIONS

Thelearnershaveset ambitiouscareer goals reflecting theiracademicstrengths.Janijies planstopursuepremedicalscience at the University of theWestern Cape (UWC), hoping to eventually work in laboratory settings. His journeywasn’twithout challenges,particularly balancingschool stress andtacklingdemanding subjects like mathematicsand physics. “My family andteacherskeptmegoing.Theyhave always encouraged me to stay disciplinedand optimistic formyfuture,”Jantjiessaid. Kroutz will studyeducation at Stellenbosch University.She credited hermother’ssupport in managing herresponsibilities, allowing her to focusonstudies

Mlitha hasbeen accepted to studya Bachelor of ScienceinMechatronicsatthe University of Cape Town,aspiringtobecomea robotics engineer.Despite strugglingwithAfrikaansasa second language learner, he overcame challenges throughdedicated effortand family support

STUDYSTRATEGIESANDSUPPORTSYSTEMS

Thelearnerssay they employed variousstudy methods, with active recall beingparticularly popular.

Mlitha allocatedfourhours dailytochallengingsubjectsand twohours to stronger areas, demonstratingstrategic time management Family support wascrucial across allthe matrics success stories, with parentsand teachers providingessentialencouragement during stressful periods.

INSPIRINGTHENEXTGENERATION

Theseachievers hope theirsuccess will motivate this year’s Classof2026intheir community to pursue academic excellenceand make necessary sacrificesfor theirdreams. Theiradvice to current Grade11s is clear: startstudying early, stay positive,and neverlosefocus despite overwhelming workloads.

Thousands of learnersmissfirstday

LAURENO’CONNOR-MAY LAUREN.OCONNOR-MAY@NOVUSMEDIA.CO.ZA

Asparents proudlypostedpictures on social mediaoftheir children goingtoschool forthe firsttime on Wednesday14January,thousands of others joined thelongqueuesoutside educationdepartmentdistrictofficesto seek placementfor theirkids.

At theMetro SouthEducation District in Lentegeur, angryparents scoldedaneducation department official when he announcedthatthe queuewould be closed at around 08:45. Theofficial told parentsthatthe office could only accommodate 300peoplefor theday.The more than ahundred parentswho didnot make thecut-off were referredtothe department’s satelliteoffice afew kilometres away

Parentscomplainedthattheyhad been standinginthe line forhours andfor many it wasnot their firsttimewaiting Fruitlesshours in thesun KhumisaTunzi from Khayelitshawas among thenumberthatwerereferred. Shesaidthe

LATE APPLICATIONS CREATECONSIDERABLE PROBLEMS FORTHE DEPARTMENT

processwas unfair

Tunziwas trying to find aplace forher Grade 5daughterclosertohomebecause theschool sheattends in Zonnebloem is toofar.The schoolsnearher home aretoo full, shesaid.

“She leaves thehouse at 05:00and then only gets home at 18:00or19:00,”Tunzi said

Shesaidshe hasbeen trying to gether daughtertransferred sinceDecemberlastyearbut has hadnofeedback from thedepartment.

Chante JoubertofRocklands wasalsoamong thenumberwho were referred. Shesaidshe wastryingto find aplace forher brotherand cousin in Grades 7and 8.

“Wedidn’tknowabout theonlineapplication,” Joubertsaid, explaining that sheisthe main caregiverfor theboysbecause theirpar-

Placement in progress for 7540 Gr R, 1and 8learners

TheWestern Cape EducationDepartment (WCED) says it is currently processing asignificantnumberoflateschool applications forthe newacademicyear.

As of Wednesday7 January, theWCEDhas successfully placed 180960 (96% of)learners forwhomapplications were received forGrade R, 1, and8 forthisyear.

Placementisstill in progress for7540learners in thesegrades.

SinceSaturday1 November last year,the department hasreceived10666 late applications: Thedepartmentsayslateapplicationsdisrupt planningfor learnerplacement,resourceallocation,and staffing,and placeadditionalstrain on thedepartmenttoplace learners immediatelyduringa period when schoolsare closed forthe holidays.Accordingtothe department, essentialitems were procured anddelivered in advancetoensureimmediateteachingand learning across schools.

Schoolswereabletoorder top-up textbooks in Maylastyear, with fulldeliverycompleted by October, amountingtoR58,7 million Stationery fornon-section 21 schoolsvaluedat R25,3million wasdelivered by November last year,and an additional R31,6million worthof goodsweredelivered by December last year

Thedepartmentsaysitisready to respond to newrequirementsthatmay arisedue to late applications or unexpected demand

MOVINGFORWARD

TheWCEDiscurrently conducting its10-day

snap survey forten days,since schoolsopened last week

This survey provides accurate data on learner numbersineachgrade,allowing thesystemto settlebeforereporting

Theinformation gathered is critical for determiningwhere additional resources—such as furniture andequipment—are needed and wherefurther placementopportunitiesmay exist.

TheWCEDhas built175 newclassrooms throughthe building of newschoolsand the expansionofexistingschools.

No-fee schoolsreceive normsand standards funding to providestationerytotheir learners Schoolsmay,however,request that parents contribute to theirchildren’sstationerylistor otherexpenses, butatno-feeschoolsthismust be voluntary.

“Ifparents areconcerned aboutany contribution they arebeing askedtomakeata no-fee school,weurgethemtohavea discussion with theschooltoclarify that it is voluntaryor urgently report themattertotheir education district office

“Inmostofthe casesraisedwithus, we find that it is amisunderstandingormiscommunication of arequest forvoluntary contributions,” explainedWCED.

Parentswho areinlimbo areencouragedto visittheir educationdistrictoffices.

District office details areavailablehere: https:// wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/admissions-officials

WesternCapefatherandson buildrecord-breakingdrone

AWestern Cape father andson team hasmade SouthAfrican engineeringhistory by creating theworld’s fastestbattery-powered drone, reaching speedsthatwould make most cars jealous.

Luke Bell andhis father Mike Bell have officially earned theirplace in theGuinness World Recordsafter theircustom-builtquadcopter, namedPeregreen 2, achieved an averagetop speed of 480,23 km/h –fastenoughtotravel 142metresina second

Theachievement comesafter months of meticulous design,testing,and overcoming significant technicalchallenges

Thepathtosuccess wasn’t smooth,with severalmalfunctions during testing, including wiresand batteries overheatingtothe pointof causingelectrical fires.

To meet Guinness WorldRecords’strictcriteria, Peregreen 2had to complete twosuccessful flightsinopposite directions to eliminatethe effects of wind conditions

During theseofficial runs,the droneactually peaked at an extraordinary510 km/h,though

ents are“roamingaround”

Joubertclaimed she firstapplied at thedepartment in August.“I’ve hadnoresponsesince then.”

Thousandsstill need spaceatschools

Thegroup wasamong 7200 in theWestern Cape,accordingtothe Good Party, whostill needed placementwhenschoolsreopenedfor thecurrent academic year on Wednesdaylast week (14January).

“Thatis7 400pupilsleftinlimbo,uncertain abouttheir future, notbecause of alackofeffort or ability, butbecause thesystemhas failed to provideenoughspace forthemtocontinuetheir education,”Brett Herron, GOOD’s member of theWestern Cape Parliament,said.

“The WesternCapegovernmentisquick to branditselfasthe ‘best-run’ province in the country. Buta government that leaves thousandsofchildrenwithout access to schoolingat thestart of theacademicyearcannotcredibly claimsuccess. This nowraisesthe question: When will thesechildrenbeplacedinclassrooms? Howlongwilltheyhavetodelay their futurefor?”

Late applications

When People's Post sister newspaper, TygerBurger, posedthese questionstothe Western Cape EducationDepartment(WCED), spokesperson Millicent Merton said that sinceNovember, thedepartmenthad received over 10000 late applications

“Asof7 Januarythisyear, placementwas stillunderwayfor 7540 learners,” Merton said, adding that updated figureswould be made availablesoon.She said that sinceSaturday1 November last year,the WCED received 10666 late GradeR,1 and8 applications.Mostofthese were received in November andDecemberbut by Wednesday7 January, thedepartmenthad received 758new “extremely late applications

“Lateapplications create considerable challenges forthe WCED.Theydisrupt planning forlearner placement, resource allocation and staffing,and placeadditional strain on thedepartment to placelearnersimmediatelywhen schoolsare closed forthe holidays.Thismeans that discussionsaroundplacement canonlyresume once schoolsreopen, delaying theprocess further,” sheexplained

UWCdevelopsnewlow-cost healthscreeningtest

University of theWestern Cape researchers have achieved amajor breakthrough in medical diagnostics, developing an innovative electrochemical sensor capableofdetecting cancer, tuberculosis,and long Covid-19 at afractionof traditionaltesting costs.

Thecutting-edgesensor, developedatUWC’s SensorLabinthe Department of Chemistry, represents asignificant leap forwardinaddressing SouthAfrica’sdualburdenofcommunicableand non-communicablediseases. This portable device uses nanotechnology to detect specificdisease biomarkers in blood samples, offeringrapid andhighlysensitive resultsthat couldtransform healthcare delivery in underserved communities.

Dr JaymiLeigh January, theleadresearcher andrecentPhD graduate whospearheaded this development, emphasised thetechnology’s relevancetolocal health challenges

“Thisresearchaddressesa very real SouthAfricanhealthchallengebyproviding accessible, sensitive, andaffordabledisease diagnostics,” sheexplained

HOWTHETECHNOLOGYWORKS

Thesensoroperatesusing light-basedelectrical signalstomeasure traceamounts of disease-linkedproteinsinpatient blood samples. Itsremarkablesensitivity allows detectionof Covid-19 spikeproteinsatlevelsaslow as 0,04 picogramsper millilitre– farexceedingthe capabilities of many currentdiagnostictools.

Thedeviceidentifies specificbiomarkers foreachcondition:CapGproteinsfor cancer detection, interferon gamma fortuberculosis screening, andspike proteins foridentifying Covid-19 infections andlongCovid-19risk. Unlike traditionallaboratory-baseddiagnosticsthatrequire expensiveinfrastructure, this sensor delivers fast,reliableresults in a portable format

JanGettemans andassociateresearcherOlivier Zwaenepoel

This collaborative approach hasbeen instrumental in developing asensorthatdemonstratesexcellent stability, reliability, and reproducibility– essentialfeaturesfor routine clinical application.

theofficial record reflects theaverage speed across both flights.

Thedrone features alightweight carbon fibre shellthatwas 3D printedata localworkshop.

TheBells worked alongsideaerothermal engineer ChrisRossertoperfect thedrone’s aerodynamics andcontrol systems, combining high-techmotorsand batteries with acompletely redesigned,streamlined shape. Mike Bell, an accomplished architect, designed theiconicMbombelaStadium in Nelspruit,which hosted four matchesduringthe 2010 FIFA WorldCup

Luke Bell hasestablished himselfasa content creator, regularlyreviewing drones andcameras on hisYouTube andInstagram channels.He also serves as an ambassadorfor Sony,bringinghis technicalexpertise to awider audience throughdigital platforms.

Fordrone enthusiastsand engineeringfans wantingtofollowLukeBell’sfutureprojects, hiscontent canbefound on YouTubeand Instagramwhere he continuestoshowcase cutting-edgetechnologyand innovation

SouthAfricafaces significant challenges with tuberculosis,cancer, andongoing Covid-19 complications. Traditionaldiagnosticmethods oftenrequire costly laboratory facilities and lengthyprocessing times, creating barriersto earlydetection andtreatment,particularlyin resource-limited settings.

This technology offersa game-changingsolution by providingimmediate, accurate resultsat thepoint of care.The sensor’s abilitytodetect diseases at earlierstagescould dramatically improvetreatment outcomes andpatient survival rates.

ForlongCovid-19detection,the technology proves particularly valuable in identifying hiddenviral reservoirs andpatientsatriskof developing prolongedsymptoms– agrowing concernasthe pandemic’s long-termeffects become clearer.

Theproject represents successful international collaboration, with Januaryworking under thesupervision of Prof Emmanuel Iwuoha from UWC’sChemistry Department,alongside Dr NeliaSanga,a UWCpostdoctoralfellow. The team also partneredwithresearchers from the University of GhentinBelgium,including Prof

Thetechnology’smostsignificant advantage lies in itspotential to improvehealthcareequity.Byproviding affordable, portable diagnostics,the sensor couldbridgethe gapbetween advanced medicalfacilitiesand underserved communities across SouthAfricaand beyond Januaryreflectedonthe broaderimplicationsofher research:“Everychallengeduring this journeyhas been aformative moment that strengthened me,and I’mgrateful forthe guidance of supervisors, family,and co-researchers.”

LOOKINGAHEAD

Theresearchteamnow focusesonscaling up developmentand production forwidespread clinical use. Future plansinclude comprehensive clinical trials to further validate thedevice’s effectiveness andexpandaccessibility in resource-constrained healthcare systemsglobally AccordingtoSipokaziFokazi, from UWC’s InstitutionalAdvancement,the development represents notjusta technologicalachievement, buta step toward amoreinclusive healthcare futurewhere advanced diagnosticsare accessibletoall.