FROM THE EDITOR

A big difference between life in the “olden days“ and life in the modern era was the ever– present fear of death from disease, which medical breakthroughs from the late 19th century onwards had huge success in conquering. Sure, we still have cancer and other life– threatening diseases to which we have yet to find a cure, but back then they had so many more.

Tuberculosis, cholera, malaria, plague, smallpox, polio, typhoid, diphtheria, syphilis … the list of deadly diseases brought under control in the last 150 years is nothing short of mind– blowing. So, although the fear of dying young from some dreaded disease will never fully go away, for us humans alive today it has receded into the background.

Or at least, it had receded until we were brought down to Earth with a thud by Covid–19. I am sure you know friends or relatives who succumbed to the virus – I think by now there are very few people who don’t. Covid has brought death closer to all of us, forcing us to face our own mortality. One way we need to deal with this is to ensure that our financial affairs are in order should the worst happen and our loved ones have to pick up the pieces and carry on life without us. And that includes younger people.

The risks are lower for you, but you are not immune to death, in whatever form it takes. Your estate may be small and relatively straightforward, but you may also have debts, which will need to be settled before any of your heirs can inherit anything. Do them a favour: take some time to get your affairs in order and draw up a will.

The week of September 13 to 17 is Wills Week, an annual initiative by the Law Society of South Africa whereby numerous law practices across the country offer to draw up wills for free, as long as your affairs are relatively simple. Take up the offer and just do it.

Martin Hesse

A will can save one’s family from being put into a quagmired pit of legal conundrum, in case of death (which may even be untimely).

– HENRIETTA NEWTON MARTIN International Author