THERE must be something in Melmoth’s water that is ensuring longevity as three of the town’s residents hit 90 years of age.
Sannie Cope turned 90 on 15 December, John Swanepoel on Thursday, 13 February and Frans Drotsky is looking forward to his birthday on Sunday, 16 March.
The NG Kerk Club 60+ honoured them at their monthly meeting on Thursday, 20 February.
Sannie is the longest living Zululand resident having moved here in 1947.
She stayed on her husband’s farm and brought up their four children. They farmed with sugar cane and wattle.
John was born in Ladysmith and after school joined the SA Air Force where he was a pilot for 16 years and had active service in World War II, with many stories including being a prisoner-of-war in Germany.
After the war he stayed on with the Air Force as a Permanent Force member.
When he left the air force he flew many hours with Sabena Air before retiring and joining his brother on a dairy farm in Thornville.
He sold his stud dairy herd and then moved to Mooi River where he had a stint as deputy mayor before moving to stay with his son in Johannesburg.
When his son moved to the United States of America, he stayed behind and met his late wife, Mona.
He has been in Melmoth since 1999 and only has praise for the close-knit community.
Frans is a new-comer to Melmoth and has been in the town for seven months.
He spent his working life in Pretoria where he had a building contractor business.
With his fading eyesight he was forced to retire and moved to Melmoth.
