A 90-year-old former teacher has become a bit of a celebrity for her daily walks on the Sea Point Promenade during the level 4 lockdown exercise period.
Each morning, walkers and joggers wave and smile as they pass Yamina Oliver. The former teacher dons a face shield and her trusty walker as she braves the Prom for her daily exercise.
“I taught for 50 years and I actually taught until 80,” Oliver told TimesLIVE. “I used to walk in the morning and in the evening. But now I only do it in the morning. I love teaching, and what is so nice about teaching is that everybody here, who I don’t know, knows me because I taught them – and others I taught their children and grandchildren.”
Oliver has been taking her daily walks since President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africans will be allowed to exercise between the hours of 6am and 9am on a daily basis. There are strict rules that come with the exercise period, however. Fitness enthusiasts are still required to maintain social distancing measures when exercising, and must exercise within a five kilometre radius of their homes.
“I couldn’t breathe with the other thing that I put on my nose, so my physiotherapist recommended this [a face shield] and I love it,” Oliver said. “It’s beautiful and also when everybody walks past it’s a pleasure because I don’t walk so fast. I get a bit lonely if there is no jogger. The other day a cop stopped me and I thought he was going to take me away … and he asked where I stay and said he is going to come and fetch me every morning.”
“Everybody is so friendly. I don’t see so well and I forget their names. But I love it.”