Julius Smuts was born on March 11, 1920, in Mosselbay. At the age of 55, he retired from the police force, and in 1975 after completing a TV course, he worked at Tedelex until he retired at the age of 70.
He has two granddaughters and three great-grandchildren. Julius has been a resident of Queenshaven Village for the past 12 years. To celebrate his 101 birthday, he had cold meats and salads for lunch, which is one of his favourite meals in the residents’ dining room.
“I joined the police force in 1939 and I was supposed to work at the head office as a speed typist. When I was 23 years old, I was sent by the police to college to study radio technology, where I was working for the radio system of the police,” he said.
When he started in Durban in 1945, they then opened radio police and brought him back to Johannesburg for four years to become a warrant radio officer.
“I have travelled and worked in 71 towns throughout the years. I have been in different provinces and also across the borders with my job because I was doing exceptionally well.”
There were only 100 men in South Africa doing all the radio work. He said he made sure he moved with his family when he was transferred to other provinces.
“I was married in 1946, but my wife died after 57 years of our marriage. I have a 70-year-old son who worked as a technician at Telkom, but at the moment he is working at a printing company,” he said.
Julius said turning 101 years is an absolute blessing. Due to Covid-19, he celebrated his birthday at the Queenshaven Village.
“I honestly still feel fit even with my age. At this age, I still feel like the same old me. I am just slowing down that’s all but otherwise, I still play pool table three days a week, and I walk around every day all over the area. I use my trolley just for safety or in case I get tired but honestly, I don’t need it.”
He added, “I am grateful to live even with the virus that has just been part of our lives. I have a feeling it’s a flu that will be here for the rest of our lives. It is not something that will disappear as soon as we expected. I just hope they control it and eventually they will find a simple cure that will solve the problem like flu and colds.”
Julius’ words of encouragement for young people never feel too old to learn.
“I want to encourage youngsters to never feel old to learn. As old as you get you meet people and you pick up little knowledge that you can apply. A person must not be comfortable in one place. I left the police force because I could not get higher in rank. After all, we were such a small unit.
The only way to improve was to leave the force and I went to television. I have always been interested in technology. Even at this age, I still watch how things are being done that involve technology. I like learning something new every day,” he concluded.
