South Africa
Fredie Blom - one of the world's oldest men - passes away─── 09:09 Sun, 23 Aug 2020
One of South Africa’s oldest men passed away at the age of 116 on Saturday.
Fredie Blom, affectionately known as “Oupa,” passed away at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town.
He was born in the Eastern Cape in 1904.
Family friend Andre Naidoo said Oupa started to feel weak a few days ago.
Oupa lost his baby sister and several family members to the Spanish Flu in 1918, as Naidoo explained: “He was still chopping wood about two weeks ago. His body couldn’t take it anymore. We saw his state declining. He was in hospital and had extreme pain in his stomach.”
Oupa later moved to Cape Town and has been living in Delft with his wife for many years.
“The village people and his family told him to go away as they had the disease. So, based on the stories I heard, he stood on the mountain and had to observe. There were bodies all over. The last person he looked after was his baby sister.”
Gadija Francis, from the Delft Senior Forum, said Oupa was a hero in the community.
“He really loved his fire and tobacco. Whenever we visited, he always had a smile on his face.”
EWN
