South Africa News

South Africa’s ‘oldest man’ Fredie Blom has died, 116 years old

Blom celebrated his 116th birthday in May this year. He was born in 1904 in the rural town of Alelaide in the Eastern Cape. One of the oldest men in the world, Fredie Blom, has passed away, according to a tweet posted on Saturday morning by television anchor and presenter Doreen Morris.

Morris profiled Blom two years ago.

Blom celebrated his 116th birthday in May this year. He was born in 1904 in the rural town of Alelaide in the Eastern Cape.

He spent most of his life working on farms around Cape Town, and was married to his 86-year-old wife Jeanette for nearly 50 years.

Blom and his wife moved to Delft in Cape Town 30 years ago.

He had lived through the Spanish flu pandemic, which killed his sister, and remained unfazed by the Covid-19 pandemic that has gripped the world for the better part of 2020.

He recently voiced his disdain over President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ban on cigarettes, which has since been lifted.

“He doesn’t know what he’s doing,” he told AFP in May.

For his birthday this year, all Blom wanted was cigarettes.

He loved animals and gardening, his step-daughter Jasmine Toerien said.

Towards the end of his life, Blom refused to be poked and prodded by doctors, and hadn’t visited a physician in two years. Instead, he opted to take two Disprin tablets a day, his wife said.

Blom’s age was never verified by the Guinness Book of World Records body.

It is not yet clear how Blom passed away, but according to Morris, he had been ill for some time.

Updates to follow as more information is made available.

-The Citizen

In other news – Actress Tina Jaxa goes for Magosha role

Veteran actress Tina Jaxa has accepted the role of being a magosha for, but for 13 weeks only. But her new-found profession will be short-lived as a well-known pastor is vying for her hand in marriage.

Tina Jaxa

This is her storyline in the new drama series called Erased, which will be aired on Moja Love from the beginning of next month. continue reading

Back to top button