128-year-old shares secret to longevity
SOUTH Africa’s Johanna Mazibuko is the world’s oldest woman; she may well be the world’s oldest person.
According to Mazibuko’s identity document, she was born in 1894 – making her 128 years old.
She has lived through two world wars, the Spanish flu, Y2K and Covid19.
Born on a maize farm in Ottosdal, Mazibuko now lives in Jouberton, Klerksdorp. She moved to Jouberton when she got married and she had seven children.
Two out of her seven offspring are still alive today. Her surviving children are 81 and 83 years old, respectively.
Mazibuko attributes her long life to never having consumed alcohol and her traditional Tswana diet, which includes samp, pap, pumpkin and watermelon. She added that she hardly ever got sick.
When asked about her favourite food, she said she enjoyed Coca-Cola and chicken, especially when complemented by pap.
Mazibuko said she felt she was ready to die as she had been alive for too long. She prayed day and night for God to take her soul.
She said: “I pray for God to take me away as well, just like he has all the people around me, so why is he still keeping me here?”
Her advice to youngsters is that should they should always respect their parents and their elders.
The Adopt an Elderly campaign in Mahikeng, in the North West, has called for Mazibuko to be recognised as the world’s oldest person.
OJ Madikong has initiated a campaign to have Mazibuko officially declared the oldest person in the world by Guinness World Records.
He said: “I believe maMazibuko could have long been put in the Guinness book of records. The whole world would know, but we know that it is never too late. We are happy that there is someone who 128 years old, whether they try to hide her or what – but we know there is.”