Sowetan

Vangile defied illness to prosper

People’s role model and family’s pillar of strength

- By Catherine Duma and Thulani Malinga

Born: July 11 1957 Died: February 2 Funeral: Tomorrow, at home number 3725 Meadowland­s Zone 10, Soweto, starting at 8am Burial: Avalon Cemetery

Maria Vangile was born in 1957 in the Free State and was the third child of Jack Malinga and Poppy Malinga.

Earlier in her life, Vangile experience­d health challenges for which doctors struggled to find a cure. She became the professor and an author of her own ailment. She lived the healthiest lifestyle, beating the doctors on most of their prediction­s, including that she could not give normal birth.

Vangile was blessed with a healthy daughter. She continued to bless, mother and touch the lives of those she attended school with, worked with and lived with in her community.

Her education began at Mofolo primary school in Soweto, before she proceeded to Phaphamang in Evaton.

She started her working career at Star Furniture in Johannesbu­rg, working as a sales consultant. She gradually climbed the ranks and moved to Eskom, working as an administra­tion clerk, and later worked at the Sunday Times as a finance clerk.

Vangile was a woman of integrity, inspiratio­n and a disciplina­rian. She did not compromise on those standards. She guided with sheer love and most of her friends are living testimony of her discipline.

She led by example because she was regarded as a role model by her community because of the discipline­d life she lived. From the age of 50, Vangile’s began to experience health issues again. But she held on again before she passed on last week at a hospital in Klerksdorp, aged 61.

Shortly before her demise, she leaned on the shoulder of her daughter, Pamela, and departed this world peacefully.

Thulani Malinga spoke fondly about his departed aunt. “She was a people’s person and had a lot of friends because of her love and caring nature. She put other people’s problems first. She never had enough of other people’s problems,” he said.

Thulani said he regarded his aunt as his mother because she loved her family to bits.

“She was a pillar of the family. We sometimes disappoint­ed her, but she would forgive us because she did not hold grudges. May her soul rest in eternal peace.”

Vangile leaves behind a daughter, brother, sister, four grandchild­ren, nieces, nephews and cousins. She will be buried in Soweto tomorrow.

 ??  ?? Maria Vangile was a woman of integrity and inspiratio­n.
Maria Vangile was a woman of integrity and inspiratio­n.

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