Golden girl celebrates 113 years
Centenarian milestones
LIMPOPO’s 113-year-old golden girl certainly does not need the national health department to warn her about the perils of consuming too much sugar.
Koko Ramaite Mogano, from Ga-Molepo outside Mankweng, gave strict orders not to have cake at her birthday celebration on Saturday because she does not like “junk food”.
This adherence to healthy eating could be Mogano’s secret to living longer than a century. After all, South Africa’s health ministry has been warning people that too much sugar contributes to life-threatening chronic diseases.
On Saturday, Mogano wore a lilac outfit, a hat and a white shawl on her shoulders, ready to celebrate with friends and relatives.
“I don’t know how I managed to live this long. It is God and my ancestors who have allowed me to live,” Mogano said.
Born in Ga-Chuene on February 4 1904, Mogano moved to Dihlopaneng village in Ga-Molepo when she got married.
She was blessed with seven children, 21 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren and 10 great great-grandchildren. Two of her children died, leaving three sons and two daughters.
Mogano said that back in her day they depended on ploughing fields to get vegetables, which formed a big part of their staple diet.
Her face broke into a smile when asked about her love for pork meat. “Growing up in Ga-Chuene we would slaughter a pig every Christmas,” Mogano recalled.
Although she still has all her teeth in place, old age has meant that she cannot enjoy pork and her favourite snack of mopane worms.
“They give me all these modern things for me to brush my teeth but I don’t see the difference,” she said.
Before being ushered into the decorated white tent with a song, Mogano took some time to pose for a selfie with Energy FM radio presenter Mpho Maumela.
The celebration was organised by the family, Energy FM, Age-In-Action and the provincial department of social development.
Her granddaughter Anna Nkube Mogano, 52, said it was a privilege to still have Mogano around. “This is amazing and very rare. I call her our golden girl because she is gold,” Anna said.
Anna was raised by Mogano after her father died when she was only seven years old. “I grew up very close to Koko. She loved to cook for us. Every day after school there would be a container of home-made mageu under the shade ready for us to snack,” she said.
Anna’s 71-year-old mother Francina, who is Mogano’s fourth child, said celebrating their mother’s birthday was a miracle. Francina said Mogano, who depended on ploughing and building mud houses for the family, raised them as a single mother after their father died.
“She raised us through all her struggles. We pray that she lives even longer because we still want to be with her,” said Francina. WHILE Indonesian citizen Saparman Sodimejo, also known as Mbah Gotho, who turned 146 years old has claimed to be the world’s oldest person, South Africa has seen its own share of centenarians in recent years.
In 2015 Sowetan reported that 125-year-old Somisa Mahuri of Xihoko village in Limpopo could be SA’s oldest citizen. Mahuri was born on October 10 1890. She died during 2016.
In 2009 Moloko Temo, also a Limpopo resident, died aged 134, months before her 135th birthday.
In 2014 Ethel Leisa, who was 100 years old, was believed to be the oldest resident in Orlando West, Soweto, cast her fourth democratic vote. Leisa died in 2016.
In 2015 Georgina Harwood of Cape Town made international headlines when she celebrated her 100th birthday with a skydive.
“It is God and my ancestors who have allowed me to live this long