Mimi Mangesi celebrated her 108th birthday surrounded by family and loved ones at Zwelitsha in Nyanga on Saturday 8 August.

The milestone celebration brought together generations of the Mangesi family to honour a woman whose life has spanned more than a century.

A mother, grandmother and great-grandmother

Mangesi is a mother of seven children, of whom three are still living. She has 17 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren, making her birthday a special occasion for a large extended family.

Her granddaughter, Phumeza Mangesi (47), described her grandmother as an active, strong and disciplined woman who played an important role in raising the family. She said her grandfather died at the age of 98 in 2000.

“Grandma was a nice person, but strict at the same time. We were all raised by her,” said Phumeza.

Still cooking and still stylish

She said Mangesi still enjoys spending time in the kitchen and is particularly fond of preparing traditional food.

“She likes cooking, particularly stamp, mealies, steamed bread, because she doesn’t like store-bought bread. She likes eating stamp, mealies with amasi (sour milk),” said Phumeza.

Despite reaching the age of 108, Mangesi remains strong and, according to her granddaughter, does not suffer from any illness.

Phumeza also described her grandmother as a fashionista who enjoys looking good.

“She is still strong and doesn’t have any illness. She is also a fashionista,” she said.

For the Mangesi family, the celebration was more than just a birthday party. It was an opportunity for different generations to come together and honour a woman who has been a central figure in their lives.

Having witnessed more than a century of change, Mangesi continues to be surrounded by the love of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as she marks another remarkable milestone.

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Ward 37’s oldest resident

Ward 37 councillor Sandile Martin said Mimi is the oldest person in his ward. He said Mimi has vast knowledge of the area and its history as she was among the first group of people to arrive in Nyanga.

“Having a person like Mama Mangesi is a blessing in itself. It is rare these days to have a person reach her age. People are dying at a young age now. As Ward 37 we wish Mama Mangesi many more years to come and hope that God will protect her from all these things that are happening in our communities,” said Martin.