Die legendariese rottang-vrou van die Paarl, Rita du Plessis, of te wel \u201cRita Mandjies\u201d of \u201cRita Rottang\u201d, soos haar jarelange kli\u00ebnte na haar verwys het, word op 21 Mei vanjaar \u2019n volle 100 jaar oud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rita was vir jare bekend in die Paarl vir haar winkel met \u2019n groot verskeidenheid rottang-goedere. Sy was nog tot 17 jaar gelede aktief betrokke met die vervaardiging van haar rottang-items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rita is gebore Margarita Loli, een van tien kinders, in die dorpie Casasco d\u2019Intelvi teenaan Lake Como in Itali\u00eb, 10 km vanaf die Switserse grens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tydens die Tweede W\u00eareldoorlog ontmoet sy vir Evert du Plessis wat toe vir die Suid-Afrikaanse weermag in Itali\u00eb geveg het. Hulle trou daar en keer in 1946, n\u00e1 die oorlog, terug na Suid-Afrika.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rita, wat bang was vir vlieg, kom per skip na Suid-Afrika en moet onder meer 30 dae in Egipte wag voordat die reis na Suid-Afrika hervat kon word. Sy het vertel dat sy op die eerste dag daar \u2019n wurm in haar slaai gekry het en daarvandaan elke dag slegs \u2019n pak sjokolade ge\u00ebet het, aangesien dit veilig verpak was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maar \u2019n kort tydjie n\u00e1 hul aankoms in Suid-Afrika besluit Rita en Evert om te skei. Hierna trou sy met sy broer, Johan du Plessis. Johan was in die tagtiger jare bestuurder by die destydse Paarl-gholfklub, waar hy in 1983 wreedaardig vermoor is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rita en Johan was teen daardie tyd reeds geskei en sy was toe aan stuur van haar eie besigheid, Rottang en Bamboes, in die Paarl. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hierdie besigheid het sy aanhou bedryf totdat sy in 2005 in haar winkel aangeval is en ernstig beseer is. As gevolg hiervan kon sy nie terugkeer werk toe nie en sy moes haar winkel se deure sluit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy het geen kinders gehad nie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ongelukkig het Rita geen pensioen gehad nie en sy het intrek geneem by haar vorige mans se broerskind Kobus en sy vrou, Annedien.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Annedien was op daardie stadium nog \u2019n praktiserende maatskaplike werker en het vir Rita aansoek gedoen vir \u2019n staatspensioen, wat sy vandag steeds ontvang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy het ook probeer om by Itali\u00eb vir haar aansoek te doen om pensioen, maar sy het nie gekwalifiseer nie, aangesien sy toe reeds te veel jare in Suid-Afrika woonagtig was. Sy het deur die jare ook nooit teruggekeer na Itali\u00eb toe nie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy is later in 2005 in Huis Vergenoegd opgeneem met die hulp van die bekende Paarlse sakeman Johan Pauw. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hier word sy vandag nog versorg en is tans in die siekeboeg nadat sy tydens Covid haar geheue begin verloor het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy is wel steeds fisiek in goeie gesondheid en Annedien besoek gereeld vir haar en dan gesels sy net oor dinge wat baie lank gelede plaasgevind het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verlede jaar was Annedien en Kobus bevoorreg genoeg om Rita se oudste suster se seun, Joseph Hartmann, en sy vrou, Maya, woonagtig in Switserland, te ontmoet. Hulle het spesiaal na Suid-Afrika gekom om vir Rita te kom opsoek en was vanjaar weer hier. Rita kon hulle nog beide in Januarie vanjaar herken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rita het nog een oorlewende suster, Palma, haar jongste suster, wat in Milaan woonagtig is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn al die jare wat ons vir Rita ken, was dit vir ons duidelik dat sy baie goed was vir baie mense in die Paarl,\u201d se Annedien.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSy wou nooit haar meubels duurder maak vir persone wat afbetaal het nie, hoewel Kobus dikwels vir haar ges\u00ea het dis die regte ding om te doen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOmdat sy so goed was vir mense en baie kinders vakansiewerk gegee het om vir haar mandjies te help verkoop, het verskeie persone in die verlede steeds vir haar finansieel gehelp.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Die legendariese rottang-vrou van die Paarl, Rita du Plessis, of te wel \u201cRita Mandjies\u201d of \u201cRita Rottang\u201d, soos haar jarelange kli\u00ebnte na haar verwys het, word op 21 Mei vanjaar \u2019n volle 100 jaar 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