The rural village of Itsani, near Tshisaulu, was abuzz on Saturday, 3 June, when the children, relatives and the community at large celebrated Granny Ngwaniwa Masindi Ramanyimi's 100th birthday.
The ceremony was also attended by royal leaders such as Thovhele Thivhulawi Makumbane, Thovhele Ndivheni Nesengani, and other community members from around Itsani and Tshisaulu.
Ululations, singing and traditional dances such as the tshigombela became the order of the day. Speaker after speaker wished Ramanyimi more years to come and described her as the "path finder" of the Ramanyimi and Davhana clans.
Granny Ramanyimi was born and raised in the royal clan of Ha-Davhana in Tshirululuni village, near Vuwani, in 1923, and was known for raising her four children, Maungedzo, Maria, Mushaathama and Avhapfani, with love, taking them to church every Sunday and encouraging them to take their education seriously. She was one of the elders who, as a young girl, were denied an education, because in those days people believed that girls who went to school could go mad. As she never went to school, she used her God-given talent for moulding clay pots to make a living. Ramanyimi is still a staunch member of the Lutheran Church in Itsani village.
One of her grandchildren, Mavhuthu Masithi, was very excited to be celebrating her grandmother's 100th birthday with her. "It is through God's grace alone that she has been spared for so many years and is still so strong. She is the one who cooks porridge for the family every day. To this day, she does not allow anyone else in the family to cook the porridge. We wish her many more years to live," she said.
Thovhele Thivhulawi Makumbane said he was proud to be associated with the granny who had lived such a long life.