Justice dos Santos is Cape Town's very own Benjamin Button - aging backwards and looking younger the older he gets.
He is nearly 100-years-old, but doesn’t look a day over 60.
Meet the 92-year-old man from Rocklands, Mitchells Plain who doesn’t have a wrinkle in his face or a grey hair on his head.
Justice was born on 13 March 1927 in Maputo.
Justice’s identity document. Picture: JACK LESTRADE
He speaks six languages, was in the army, worked in China on ships, is a trained chef, and worked as a driver before his retirement just over 10 years ago.
Justice’s father had four wives and 40 children, and his grandfather had eight wives, but he himself has only been married once.
Justice’s memory is still as sharp as ever, and he’s full of vim and vigour, so much so that he wants to go back to work because he is bored at home.
He still has all his teeth and is in perfect health, “with just a touch of high blood pressure”.
“I was just 16 when I came to South Africa and at the age of 20, and I joined the army,” he says.
“I went as far as China where we worked on diesel ships. For 11 years I worked as chef.”
During his travels, Justice became fluent in English, Afrikaans, Sotho, Zulu, Portuguese and Xhosa.
Meet 93-year-old Justice dos Santos vannie. Video: Genevieve Serra
When he was 48, the bachelor met the love of his life, Rachmat, who was a nurse at Groote Schuur Hospital.
They married two years later and had two children.
Rachmat had been part of the team who assisted Dr Chris Barnard performing the first heart transplant at Groote Schuur in 1967.
Justice had been an ambulance driver at the time.
Sadly, Rachmat passed away five years ago. The couple has two children and Justice says he will never marry again.
Daughter Sonia Filander, 44, says her dad is as fit as a fiddle: “He was only once in hospital when he was in a car accident.”
The 93-year-old Justice dos Santos vannie Mitchells Plain. Picture: JACK LESTRADE
Justice reckons he owes his youthful appearance to living healthy, being respectful to his elders and always moving and shaking.
“We grew up being gehoorsaam, we didn’t smoke or drink.
“I am 93 now, I still feel the same, my heart does not say I am old.
“When people are 50 they don’t want to work any more, I worked until in my 80s.
“I was a long distance driver and I left it because it would be too long periods away from home.”
Asked how he keeps his skin clear of plooie, Justice says: “I only wash my face with hot water. I only use Dettol soap and I eat what I want to.”
When the Daily Voice reporter left Justice's home and said "I will see you when you're 100 years old, the ou toppie replied: "I will call you when I'm 150".
genevieve.serra@inl.co.za