106-year-old gogo loves everything traditional

What causes people to live beyond 100 years? Could it be constant visits to and advice from doctors? The 106-year-old Kwara Mutsekwa Netshithuthuni from Chitutu village in Nzhelele spoke to Limpopo Mirror, explaining what living beyond a century entails.

Born in 1914 in Tshitomboni village, Netshithuthuni says she does not believe in storing food in refrigerators. “Long ago, there were no refrigerators. We used to dry meat on the fire. This was very healthy for us. It is unlike today, where food is stored in refrigerators. I am sure it is a recipe for some of the diseases coming up these days.”

Health food, according to Netshithuthuni, is mashonzha, muroho, fresh beans, nuts, and fruits such as bananas. She believes that, because these foods contain less oil, they are better for our health. Netshithuthuni encourages people not to rely on ‘junk food’ for nutrition.

She is blessed with three sons, 15 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. To her, everything traditional sounds “very good”. The minwenda is her favourite traditional dress and she loves the domba and tshikona dances.

To the readers, Gogo Netshithuthuni says, “Please follow our culture, respect elders and teach your children our culture. If we follow such practices, we will live longer.”

Debra Mphumudzeni, one of her grandchildren, is very grateful for the privilege of growing up under the guidance of Netshithuthuni.

At the ripe age of 106, Netshithuthuni is still capable of operating her mobile phone.

Date:13 December 2020

By: Bernard Chiguvare

Bernard Chiguvare is a Zimbabwean-born journalist. He writes mainly for the online publication, Groundup.

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