Finding a 100-year-old person these days who still functions normally, without the aid of a caregiver, is rare, but this is the case for Granny Avheani Munyai from Phadzima Mazhazhani in the Vhulaudzi area, outside Louis Trichardt.
Vho-Avheani, who was born on 5 April 1923, celebrated her 100th birthday three weeks ago, but she is still razor-sharp of mind and still has clear vision and perfect hearing. She still walks unaided and does normal chores around her home.
"My late parents, Vho-Nkhumeleni (mother) and Vho-Magala (father), were blessed with six children: four boys and two girls. Only two of us, including myself, are still alive. All the others are deceased. We were born and spent all our lives at the nearby Shanzha village, but as time went by, we later moved to Phadzima, where I live now."
Vho-Avheani was married to the late Vho-Jege Mathivha and they had four children together, of whom only one still lives. "My home was a paradise to many, as I brew the best mahafhe (traditional beer) locally. With age catching up on me, I had to quit brewing mahafhe, but I started receiving the old-age social grant, which goes a long way in providing for my basic needs."
She never went to school because in those days, the elders told them that education would make them crazy. "We looked after the goats, went into the mountain to collect firewood, and work in the fields. Unlike these days, boys and girls played separately and our elders received the respect they deserved. The initiation schools helped us to develop into responsible adults," she said.
She remembers when, back in 1939, some of the young men were forcefully taken by the then government to fight in the Second World War. "Women were never considered for the war because we were regarded as the weaker sex. I was 22 years old when the Second World War came to an end. It was very painful, because some of the men who were taken to the war never came back. Some, however, were lucky to return."
She attributes her long life to healthy living and keeping herself fit. "I enjoy traditional vegetables like mushidzhi, vowa and delele. Sometimes I eat meat too. I drink a lot of water and keep myself fit by walking around the yard and doing routine work. I believe I still have many years ahead as I feel as strong as a teenager," she said.