Fredie Blom, the 116-year-old Capetonian thought to be one of the oldest living people in the world, died at his home in Delft on Saturday.

Blom had celebrated his birthday on May 22 amid the national lockdown.

Western Cape community development officer Gadija Francis told TimesLIVE that Blom died peacefully, his death leaving the community in mourning.

“He passed on this morning from natural causes. We think that it was his age and I don’t suspect anything to do with Covid-19,” she said.

“This is an extremely sad time for everyone in Delft ... I said to Ouma [Blom’s wife] this morning, he is now in good hands. We must thank God for the life that he lived.”

Blom's identity document showed he was born in the Eastern Cape town of Adelaide on May 8 1904. His life spanned two world wars and saw the fall of apartheid.

TimesLIVE reported in May, ahead of his birthday, that Blom had attributed his longevity to decades of work in construction, along with walking and cycling to work.

TimesLIVE