Cape Town’s most famous ice-cream seller needs your help to have surgery to remove cataracts from both his eyes or he may face permanent blindness.
On Friday, doctors told Moegamat Gielmie Cassiem, aka Boeta Cassiem, that he was already blind in his right eye and that the surgery would cost R30 000.
For the surgery on his left eye, another R30 000 is required.
Boeta Cassiem, 66, is a familiar face at the Newlands Cricket Stadium, where he has been selling ice-cream and cooldrink for nearly five decades.
Anyone who has attended a match would have heard his famous sêgoed, like: “A sucker to make you wakker, a lolly to make you jolly, and a wafer to make you stywer.”
The Mitchells Plain resident says his eyesight has been deteriorating over the last five years and he needs surgery or faces going blind.
Last week, comedian Dalin Oliver took to social media asking club cricket players to make a donation towards the surgery.
Normally, the pensioner would be selling ice-cream at the stadium during matches, but with the lockdown, he is not working and is without an income.
“I always tell my customers, you are my assets,” he tells the Daily Voice.
“If you are having a bad day, you can come to Newlands and laugh a bit.
“If a child comes to me and wants to buy a sucker that is maybe R25 and he only has a R20, I give it to him.”
LEGENDARY: Moegamat Gielmie Cassiem, aka Boeta Cassiem. Video: Genevieve Serra
When asked how he came up with his rympies, the chatty oupa says he was given advice by an old friend: “He said to me, ‘this is how you capture the attention of your customer’.
“I have one customer from England who even gave me an original soccer sweater, from Old Trafford, because he said he wanted to bless me because of the person that I am.”
Boeta Cassiem says over the years, he has met celebs like Lionel Richie, and saw opera singer Luciano Pavarotti and Celine Dion live in concert, while selling his goodies.
FAMOUS: Couple with Lionel Richie
He has been married to his wife Shahieda, 62, for 43 years and they have four children and nine grandchildren.
Shahieda, who sells samoosas to make ends meet, says losing his eyesight is hard on her husband: “He is a very independent person and when I am going to prepare samoosas, he starts cutting up the onions the night before for me.
“Sometimes he cannot see me or the grandchildren and has to call out to find out where we are.”
“The surgery will take place in two weeks’ time. We are not on medical aid and we were waiting for his eyes to be checked at a State hospital, but time is running out.”
SUPPORT: Boeta Cassiem and wife Shahieda
If you would like to assist Boeta Cassiem, you can donate directly into the bank account: