The rural village of Ha-Mandiwana in Nzhelele area nearly came to a standstill last Saturday when members of the community and many invited guests celebrated the 100th birthday of Grandpa Frank Netshivhambe.
One of his sons, Mr Enos Netshivhambe (63), said that they were very thankful to celebrate the event with their father, who was still strong. "Our father is aman who likes reading the Bible all the time and he loves his family very much. There is no Sunday he misses going to church," he added.
According to him, his father never drank alcohol or smoked throughout his life. He has six children and 25 grandchildren.
Chief Manyatshe Nevhutanda described the life of Netshivhambe as amazing, "because nowadays young people became old at the age 30, but he is 100 years and still going strong."
Grandpa Netshivhambe said he was baptized in the Zionist Church in 1970. He added that he had played a pivotal role in starting the Ha-Mandiwana branch of the Church of Christ in 2005.
He said he enjoyed pap and red meat as staple foods, as well as fruits and mopani worms. During the ceremony, the traditional foods tshidzimba and thophi were distributed to the guests.