The world’s oldest woman is celebrating her 128th birthday in South Africa and she credits her long life to her upbringing on a farm
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Johanna Mazibuko celebrated her birthday earlier this week and according to Metro UK, she displayed papers that prove she was born in 1894. Throughout her lifetime, Mazibuko lived through two World Wars, apartheid, and colonialism. She was the oldest out of 12 children and was raised on a maize farm in Ottosdal. Mazibuko credits her upbringing to living a long life and a diet of fresh spinach and milk.
‘We lived so well on the farms. There were no problems. It was like you are eating meat. We would just fry them and eat them like that, just on their own. I was married to an older man. His first wife had died. He was an independent man. He had a horse carriage and cows. I would milk the cows and make butter to sell. That man treated me very well and made me forget about my life before him. I did not want for anything.’
Mazibuko says she wants a proper burial when she dies so she doesn’t bother anyone in the afterlife: ‘When I die, they must slaughter a cow for me. They must bury me well, so that I never bother them.’
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Mazibuko had seven children with her husband and says two of those children are alive today. She has over 50 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mazibuko also worked as a domestic worker for farmers throughout her lifetime. Currently, she lives with a carer named Thandiwe Wesinyana and they have been living with each other since 2001.
#HappyBirthday #DSDNW3 #DSDCARES There world Oldest living centenarian, Mme Johanna Mazibuko celebrated her 128th birthday today in Jourbertin, Klerksdorp. She is has two children out of 8 still alive. Happy pic.twitter.com/I0LQGKOA7y
— DSD NW (@DSDNW3) May 11, 2022
‘I can’t sleep when I am not next to her. When I come back, she will also say she couldn’t sleep. She says she just sits by the window looking at the gate and wondering when I will be back.’ said Wesinyana.
The community is also trying to have Mazibuko enter the Guinness Book of Records by sharing her story locally and nationally.
Interview of Johanna Mazibuko. At 128 years,she’s probably the oldest living person in history. @Wikipedia @GWR the world deserves to know about her. pic.twitter.com/a78NPsHnfa
— Karabo Rakgoale (@RakgoaleKarabo) May 15, 2022
@GWR Lucile is no longer the oldest person to have ever lived… Here’s Johanna Mazibuko born 11 May 1894… 😌😉🙏🏾❤️ pic.twitter.com/KTKtEmM25Y
— GobekliTepe (@KeplerOnCYGNUS) May 13, 2022
‘I believe Mazibuko could have long since been put in Guinness book of Records. The whole world would know, but we know that it is never late. As long as we as people in Africa know that there is such a person, we are happy that there is someone with 128 years, whether they try to hide her or what but we know there is.’ said village prophet OJ Madikong to NEWS 24.