Issuu

Atrio of learners at Otters Creek continue to make their school proud with their excellent results this year Faeed van Schalkwyk (Grade 7), Imaan Martin (Grade 6) and Mohamed Sadiq Samodien (Grade 5) are among the top-three learners at Otters Creek Junior School (OCJS) this year, says school founder and managing director, Yomna Allie

Otters Creek is an eight-year-old school in Ottery that has battled to remain operational and is facing closure after being handed a letter to “ cease operations” from the City of Cape Town In terms of the letter, Otters Creek Junior School (OCJS), situated on 11 Serissa Street, is in contravention of the City’s planning by-law

p o de

classes

People’s Post sat down with Van Schalkwyk and Martin to share an insight into their favourite subjects and hopes for the next academic year Van Schalkwyk says he has been at the school ever since he was one year old while he was in the care of the baby centre and has been at the school for 12 years He also enjoys various sports such as cricket, soccer and skateboarding, which is his favourite hobby

“During the time I’ve been here I’ve found that the teachers put a lot of eﬀort in to make the lessons very fun and always do their best for the learners,” he said

Van Schalkwyk has achieved 90% averages for his mathematics marks across the terms “I would like to improve my marks in Afrikaans too,” he adds Van Schalkwyk is passionate

about mathematics and enjoys working out formulas He says he hopes to study mechanical engineering one day

Martin says her favourite subject is natural sciences and technology She also enjoys dancing in her spare time and playing netball Martin has achieved up to 80 to 90% averages for natural sciences and technology “I find natural sciences very fun even though there’s a lot of effort being put in I enjoy experimenting and all the different kinds of chemicals you get to work with,” she explained She hopes to pursue a career in marine biology

Allie says she applauds the learners, the parents and the staﬀ for persevering through the school's struggles to remain operational amid its dispute with the City

Faeed van Schalkwyk and Imaan Martin are among the top leaners at Otters Creek Junior School

PHOTO: KEANAN HARMSE

‘Teacher-exodus crisis’

More than 30 000 teachers resigned from South Africa’s public schools between 2020 and 2024, sparking concern over growing workloads and staﬀ shortages.

Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube confirmed the figures in a written parliamentary reply, saying 30 992 teachers resigned and 1 245 were dismissed during the five-year period Gauteng recorded the highest number of resignations, followed by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Western Cape, while Limpopo and Mpumalanga reported the lowest figures

“Resignations are driven by

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: 30 992 TEACHERS RESIGNED BETWEEN 2020 TO 2024

retirement, career changes, migration and workload pressures, ” Gwarube said, emphasising the complexity of the teacher-exodus crisis Dismissals, she added, follow disciplinary proceedings under the Employment of Educators Act, and all serious cases are reported to the South African Council for Educators to prevent re-employment in schools

Gwarube explained that while

provincial education departments are responsible for hiring, managing and disciplining teachers the Department of Basic Education continues to provide oversight, monitor supply and demand, and support eﬃcient human-resource management

She also highlighted ongoing eﬀorts to address the shortage

“The department is working with provinces to strengthen human-resource systems, ensure timely disciplinary processes and develop retention and recruitment strategies ” Gwarube added that priority areas included foundation-phase teaching, mathematics, science and technology, and posts in rural and under-resourced schools

SANParksdetailsfestiveseasonreadiness

NAMHLAMONAKAL

South African National Parks (SANParks) has confirmed that Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) is fully prepared to manage increased visitor numbers over the festive season, with strengthened safety measures, enhanced firefighting capacity and expanded environmental protection teams in place

According to SANParks, between April and October this year, they recorded 1,7 million entries across their access points This reﬂects an almost 20% rise compared with the same period last year, and SANParks expects the upward trend to continue into the festive season as ﬂight and cruise arrivals increase

Visitors can expect access to some of SANParks’ popular attractions, including Boulders penguin colony, Cape Point lighthouse, Signal Hill, TMNP, Silvermine dam and Oudekraal

A combined 850 kilometres of

hiking, horse riding and mountain biking trails remain available across the park

SANParks says a total of 157 rangers are currently deployed and supported by the 40-member Sea-Air-Mountain (SEAM) special operations unit

The unit was strengthened earlier this year with 24 additional elite rangers, six new operational vehicles and the introduction of drone technology for safety patrols and ﬁreﬁghting support Specialist teams continue to assist with visitor protection and environmental crime prevention

The TMNP canine unit will receive additional contracted dogs and handlers over the festive period while the unit undergoes a review

A senior manager for visitor safety and resource protection is expected to take up duties before mid-December to oversee safety coordination and guide volunteer involvement

Volunteers already contribute to joint safety campaigns targeting illegal activities such as unauthorised overnighting and unsafe ﬁre use

Joint operations will continue with the South African Police Service, City of Cape Town Law Enforcement, neighbourhood watches, City Improvement Districts and volunteer safety groups through the Table Mountain Safety Forum

Statistics from the TMNP Ops Room show a decrease in reported incidents Robberies dropped from a spike of 15 cases in March this year to single-digit ﬁgures between June and November Following the expansion of the SEAM Unit, 17 robbery cases were recorded between June and November, compared with 37 in the same period last year Attempted robberies declined to eight cases, down from 12

Visitors are urged to prepare

Megan Taplin, TMNP Park Manager, adressing the media on its festive season preparedness for Table Mountain National Park

adequately by planning routes in advance, hiking in groups, sharing itineraries, carrying suﬃcient water, using tracking apps where possible and ensuring that mobile phones are fully charged

MOUNTAINVOLUNTEERSRAISEFUNDS

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) hosted its second annual Charity Golf Day at the Atlantic Beach Golf Estate on Friday 21 November, uniting partners, corporates and mountain lovers for a day of sport, shared spirit, and impactful fundraising This year’s event welcomed 25 fourball entries and 13 waterhole sponsorships A total of R380 000 has been raised and all proceeds will support two critical organisations that protect the natural heritage of Table Mountain and the greater Table Mountain National Park: Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS) and Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) Their lifesaving work, from emergency mountain rescues to frontline firefighting, is essential to keeping the mountain and its visitors safe throughout the year Pictured are Neil Arbous, Executive Manager: IT, TMACC; Selma Hercules, Executive Director, TMACC; David Nel, Volunteer and Media Manager, WSAR; Collette van Aswegen, Executive Manager: Marketing & Sales, TMACC; and Wahida Parker, Managing Director, TMACC PHOTO: SUPPLIED

I can’t believe this will be my last opinion piece for the year.

I don’t know about everyone else, but I feel like the year just ﬂew by It’s as if we blinked in January and somehow opened our eyes in December, wondering how the months managed to slip through our ﬁngers without so much as a warning

Maybe it’s because the world feels like it’s spinning faster these days news cycles shrinking, attention spans tightening, and expectations rising with each passing week

Or maybe it’s simply that we ’ re busier, more connected, and more overwhelmed

Yet, as the year winds down, I’m reminded that time doesn’t actually speed up; we just forget to pause We forget to sit with the moments that deserve more than a passing glance

We rush through the ordinary days in pursuit of the next milestone, the next achievement, or the next crisis And then December arrives, and suddenly we ’ re left trying to make sense of everything we lived but didn’t fully absorb

This year, like all years, had its mix of noise and clarity There were moments marked by uncertainty times when the world felt heavy on our shoulders

So much has happened On a personal level we lost a dear aunt to cancer earlier this year Her absence will surely be felt at the Christmas table I cannot help but think of all the

families that have lost loved ones due to the senseless killings on the Cape Flats

But there were also sparks of joy, connection, and quiet resilience that carried us through We learned, again, that humans have a remarkable ability to adapt We changed routines, embraced new challenges, and found new meaning we might have overlooked before

A week ago, Women for Change, a non-proﬁt committed to protecting the constitutional rights of women and children across the country, played a pivotal role in securing the classiﬁcation of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) as a “nationalcrisis”

I hope this classiﬁcation will amount to more than just rhetoric, and will be followed by meaningful government action

As I reﬂect, I realise that the real signiﬁcance of the year isn’t measured by how fast it went but by what it left behind The conversations that shifted our thinking The small victories that reminded us that we ’ re capable The setbacks that taught us more than success ever could

With the new year approaching, I’m choosing to carry forward not the rush, but the quiet, hidden lessons I hope others do the same

Because perhaps the best way to honour another year gone by is to slow down just enough to appreciate the one ahead

As we enter the time for festivities and family, may we remember those who have less Let us practise patience; we have all had a rough year, and ﬁnd moments to rest as we prepare for 2026 with renewed strength and hope

KAYLYNNE BANTOM

Walkingbusparentshonoured

Fellow parent Bobolwa Nkango hugs Eugenia Dlodlo-Sibanda, Dean of Student Development, as she accepts her certiﬁcate On the left is chief academic officer at CHSA, Dr Ronald Fortune

Fellow parent Jasmina Brown poses for a photo with her certiﬁcate, middle. On the right is chief academic officer at CHSA, Dr Ronald Fortune, and Eugenia Dlodlo-Sibanda, Dean of Student Development, left

PHOTOS: JADE PAGE

Call for unity to dismantle stigma

NAMHLAMONAKALI

MONAKALI@NOVUSMEDIA CO ZA

NAMHLA

As South Africa marked World AIDS Day yesterday (1 December), HIV advocate, storyteller, author, wife and mother Nozibele Qamngana-Mayaba called on communities to confront stigma, support people living with HIV, and embrace transformative approaches to the virus.

This year ’ s theme, “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response ” , reﬂects the challenges facing the global HIV response

According to UNAIDS (a joint United Nations Programme on HIV/ Aids), funding cuts from international donors are threatening decades of progress

Community-led services are being deprioritised, HIV prevention is disrupted, and punitive laws targeting same-sex relationships, gender identity, and drug use are making services less accessible

Despite these challenges, Qamngana-Mayaba emphasises that hope, honesty, and compassion remain central “My story is proof that healing is possible and that HIV does not deﬁne who you are, ” she says “On this World AIDS Day, I want people to know that compassion, education, and honest conversations can transform lives ”

HERJOURNEYANDADVOCACY

Qamngana-Mayaba publicly shared her HIV story in 2019 after years of silence “I shared my HIV story publicly because silence was suﬀocating me, ” she says “One day, I realised that the shame I was carrying wasn’t mine It was something society taught me to hold Recording that ﬁrst video was both terrifying and liberating ” The real turning point came when a young woman messaged her, saying that hearing her story stopped her from ending her life “That moment changed the trajectory of everything,” she recalls “I realised my healing wasn’t just for me; it was meant to open doors for others ”

Her faith has played a central role “When I was diagnosed, I battled fear, confusion, and disappointment But God met me in my lowest moments with a love that didn’t ﬂinch,” she says “Living openly with HIV has been an act of obedience My faith helped me shift from hiding to helping, from shame to purpose ”

FAMILYANDBALANCE

As a wife and mother, Qamngana-Mayaba balances her family with advocacy and ministry “Balance is not something I’ve mastered, it’s something I practise Being present for my husband and my children grounds me They remind me that I am more than my work, more than my voice online,” she says She includes her family in prayers about her work and maintains honest conversations about the demands of advocacy

AUTHORINGHOPE

Qamngana-Mayaba is now a four-time published author, with works reﬂecting her journey and advocacy:

I Am Still Me exploring personal experiences with HIV and self-acceptance

I Am Still Zuri, a children’s book aimed at teaching young readers about identity and resilience

Positively Me sharing lessons from her life, faith, and journey living with HIV

Let Me Tell You Something, her latest devotional, guiding readers through reﬂection, prayer, and personal growth

“I want people to feel held, challenged, and seen, ” she explains “I want them to leave each page reminded that God is still speaking, and their story is still unfolding ”

HIVINSOUTHAFRICA

About eight million people in South Africa are living with HIV, roughly 12,8% of the population Approximately 6,2 million are on antiretroviral treatment (ART), leaving roughly 1,8 million people without treatment

Recent reports indicate 178 000 new infections and 105 000 HIV-related deaths in the last year “These numbers show how far we ’ ve come, but they also remind us that we have more work to do,” Qamngana-Mayaba says

OVERCOMINGDISRUPTION

UNAIDS notes that the HIV response is disrupted by funding cuts and rising inequalities Qamngana-Mayaba says advocacy, storytelling, and community solidarity are critical to sustaining progress

“To the newly diagnosed: breathe Your life is not over You are not dirty, cursed, or unworthy You are still loved You are still capable You are still called,” she says She also speaks directly to faith communities: “Faith spaces should be hospitals, not courtrooms We need leaders who speak openly, sermons that address stigma, and congregations that reﬂect compassion and dignity ”

She stresses that transformation requires collective eﬀort “We cannot keep responding to HIV the same way we did 20 years ago We need innovation, honesty, and leadership that reﬂects the realities of people on the ground ”

VISIONFORTHEFUTURE

Her hope for World AIDS Day is bold: “I pray for healing, emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical I pray that shame loses its grip on our communities and that people living with HIV walk boldly in their identity and purpose I pray for a generation free from misinformation and fear

“HIV is manageable With support, treatment, and community, everyone living with HIV can lead a full, beautiful life World AIDS Day is a call to transform our approach, with courage, compassion, and commitment,” she says

HIV advocate, storyteller, author, wife and mother Nozibele Qamngana-Mayaba is calling on communities to confront stigma, support people living with HIV PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Howtolivelonger,betterwithHIV

Aids Day is observed annually on 1 December to raise awareness about HIV and Aids, and expresses solidarity with

A normal, healthy life with HIV: What you need to know

With eﬀective treatment and early diagnosis, more people with HIV are living to an older age than ever before

A pharmacist at South Africa’s original national courier pharmacy breaks down why each of us should want to know our HIV status, and why diagnosis today does not have to limit a person ’ s life expectancy

“You can and will live a healthy and normal life with HIV for as long as you stick to your treatment The life expectancy of someone living with HIV who is taking antiretroviral treatment (ART) has increased substantially over the past 25 years and is now predicted to be similar to the average life expectancy of someone who is HIV negative,” says Medipost

Pharmacy pharmacist Vukona Baloyi

She dispenses and delivers chronic medications to support better treatment adherence nationwide

Baloyi points out that testing regularly is key to early detection, which allows people living with HIV to start ART immediately, which can signiﬁcantly reduce the virus multiplication in their body to undetectable levels and help prevent transmission

“If you do test positive, the ﬁrst thing to remember is that you have the right to your privacy, and no one else will know of your condition unless you decide to share this information Secondly, we understand HIV so much better, and the medication available has improved to such a degree that if you are diagnosed early, adhere to your treatment and have your regular checkups HIV is a highly manageable chronic condition,” she says

“If a person does not know that they are living with HIV, the virus keeps growing in their body Without treatment, over time, HIV infection progresses to AIDS, and from there on, the average survival is tragically only about three years Early diagnosis and treatment are therefore essential for preserving life and increasing life expectancy,” she adds

LIVINGLONGERWITHHIV

Accessing HIV treatment starts with testing: If you test positive for HIV, eﬀective ARV therapy and quality medical care are crucial for improving life expectancy

Medipost dispenses and delivers chronic medication nationwide for greater accessibility

MEDICATIONADHERENCE:

Taking your ARVs as prescribed is vital for supporting life expectancy, to make sure you get the best beneﬁts from your medication, and reduce the risks of non-adherence Convenient, conﬁdential delivery of chronic medication parcels helps make it easier to stick to your treatment plan

MONITORINGYOURCONDITION:

Regular check-ups with your doctor or clinic

are eﬀective for monitoring how your body is coping with the virus and updating your medication if needed A high CD4 count and undetectable viral load signiﬁcantly increase life expectancy

“Remember, maintaining these levels is more clinically important than your past counts or viral loads,” Baloyi says

SEEKTREATMENTEARLYFORANYNEWSYMPTOMS: Illnesses or infections that develop either before or after your HIV diagnosis could become serious if your immune system is weakened Consult your healthcare practitioner for treatment early if you notice anything unusual, such as swelling or skin rashes

DON’TFORGETTOSCREENFOROTHERHEALTH CONDITIONS:

Manage your risk and test for other diseases like heart disease, liver disease, and cancers, as these are often more likely to aﬀect life expectancy than HIV itself

LIFESTYLECHOICES:

Although certain factors influencing life expectancy are beyond a person ’ s control, modifiable factors such as not smoking, managing stress levels, eating a healthy diet, and staying physically fit are essential for anyone ’ s well-being and healthy longevity

“We understand that no one chooses to get HIV, and as South Africa’s ﬁrst national courier pharmacy, we strive to support ART adherence to help make it easier to manage and get the best out of treatment,” Baloyi says

“Disrupted ARV treatment can lead to a drop in the person ’ s CD4 count, leaving them more vulnerable to opportunistic infections and a higher risk of falling seriously ill Another serious risk of non-adherence is that it can lead to drug resistance, where the virus adapts itself so that the treatment is no longer eﬀective Then the person ’ s ART regimen would need to change to include more pills This, in turn, can sometimes make it even harder for people to stick to their treatment, but pharmacists are here to help,” she says

Santa atTrinity Methodist early

KEANANHARMSE

KEANAN HARMSE@NOVUSMEDIA CO ZA

Over a hundred residents from Lavender Hill, Steenberg, Ottery and Retreat

were treated to Santa Shoeboxes ﬁlled with groceries and toiletries for their families this Christmas

The handover took place at the Trinity Methodist Church in Heathﬁeld on Tuesday 25 November

The event was organised by Carel Carelse who is one of the congregants at the church

People’s Post spoke with her to unpack the inspiration and planning that went into gathering and donating the boxes

Carelse says she has previously

hosted soup kitchens on Tuesdays in the Heathﬁeld area

‘‘I’ve been assisting at the church for the last six years As most of the soup kitchens are closed in the area, so the rest of the community all comes here, and they come from Overcome Heights, Steenberg, Retreat, Lavender Hill and Heathﬁeld,’’ she says

The church hosts its self-funded Santa Shoebox handover once a year, she adds

The guests all walked away with groceries ﬁlled with canned food, peanut butter, biscuits, jam, sugar, rice and noodles as well as some toiletries and toothbrushes

The little boys and girls all received cupcakes and goodie bags that held sweets, juice and chocolates inside

CHURCH HOSTS SELF-FUNDED SANTA SHOEBOX HANDOVER ONCE A YEAR

MissingGrassyParkteenagerstillnotfound

KEANANHARMSE

One week later search eﬀorts are continuing for a missing male teenager from Grassy Park believed to have been swept out to sea at Noordhoek Beach on Sunday 16 November

From Wednesday 26 November police divers have continued their search eﬀorts, said National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon

It’s 16 days since the teenager was last seen in public Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said the matter is still under investigation

“The search continues “There are no new developments to report at this stage,” he said The NSRI could not say in which parts of the sea divers were conducting their search nor would they give any further details

That Sunday, at 16:00, the NSRI Hout Bay duty crew and the City of Cape Town Water Rescue Network crew were activated following eyewitness reports of a teenager being swept out to sea at Noordhoek Beach, below Chapmans Peak Drive

“The male teenager, believed to be aged 15,

from Grassy Park, reportedly went into the surf in an attempt to retrieve a ball that had fallen from the rocks and may have got caught in rip currents and was swept out to sea before disappearing,” said NSRI Hout Bay station commander Spencer Oldham NSRI rescue swimmers, Cape Medical Response (CMR), City Law Enforcement, City Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and the SA Police Services responded People’s Post reached out to CMR and the City for a response, but had not received any by the time of printing

Over a hundred residents received groceries and goodie bags ﬁlled with sweets for their children. PHOTOS: KEANAN HARMSE

The little boys and girls all received cupcakes and party packets ﬁlled with sweets, juice and chocolates inside.

Residents came from various areas for the Santa Shoebox handover which included Overcome Heights, Steenberg, Retreat, Lavender Hill and Heathﬁeld.

Young and old residents all walked away with groceries, party packets and cupcakes on the day

A male teenager from Grassy Park who was swept out to sea at Noordhoek Beach has been missing for 16 days so far PHOTO: SUPPL ED

Festive lights kick-start holidays

KAYLYNNEBANTOM

KAYLYNNE BANTOM@NOVUSMEDIA CO ZA

Thousands of Capetonians gathered on the Grand Parade for the annual Festive Lights Switch-On event on Sunday 30 November.

Over 95 000 people attended what has become the biggest free-concert on Cape Town’s event calendar

The event is one of Cape Town’s most meaningful traditions and marks the oﬃcial start of the festive season This year ’ s theme is United in Hope Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis donned his brand-new community designed garment Hill-Lewis said the event unites communities “The event has been running for nearly 60 years It is special when city’s have these

long-standing traditions This event really is where Capetonians come together from right across the city and turn the Grand Parade and Adderley Street into one big celebration of lights, music, friendship and everything that makes Cape Town the best city in the world perfectly captured in this year ’ s theme, ‘United in Hope’ ”

Hill-Lewis said the city is ready to welcome visitors

“We will pull out all the stops to make sure that Cape Town is a great place to spend your festive holidays and we want say welcome to everyone who is coming here Have a great time in our city ”

Ricardo MacKenzi, provincial minister for cultural aﬀairs and sport, encouraged citizens to celebrate responsibly this holiday

“Be safe There are so many events happening around the City, look after yourself Please get some rest This was a diﬃcult year Mental health around the world is a problem, loneliness is a problem, please spend time with your family whatever you do, just relax It is good for your mental health ”

Local rapper Early B wished Capetonians a safe festive season

“Take it easy and be safe on the roads Enjoy it and be blessed ”

Provincial minister for cultural affairs and sport Ricardo MacKenzi, local singer Alistair Izobell, Mayor Geordin Hill Lewis and music legend, Terry Fortune PHOTO: KAYLYNNE BANTOM

Adderley Street lit up PHOTO:SUPPLIED

This year’s theme is United in Hope. PHOTO:SUPPLIED