Margaret Maritz is possibly the oldest living person in South Africa after celebrating her 118th birthday on Friday.
“Ouma Honderd” was treated to a lekker bash at AGS old-age home in Touws River with her daughters, residents, the Gift of the Givers and others.
It has yet to be confirmed whether the granny holds the country’s record for being the oldest living person following the death of Johanna Mazibuko who died two months before her 129th birthday in March last year.
Margaret was born on September 27, 1906, in Sutherland, but has lived in Breede Valley for most of her life.
She has 10 children and was married twice and was employed as a domestic worker on farms.
Margaret is fondly known as Ouma Honderd and the town’s First Lady and has lived through two World Wars and two pandemics – the Spanish Flu in 1918, and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Although she suffers from dementia, she is still able to feed herself and is very jovial, according to staff at the home.
Gift of the Givers jumped in to make Ouma’s birthday special by providing a gift for each resident, as well as food.
Michael Fortuin, the manager at the home, says Margaret had been in their care since 2000.
Fortuin says: “Ouma is very healthy although she suffers from mild blood pressure and this is controlled with medication.
“She has dementia but does remember the staff working here at the home and she remembers their faces.
“This morning at the celebration, she remembered her daughter and called her by name.
“She has another daughter from Cape Town who was present at the celebration. Ouma has a brother who is in his 80s and lives in Laingsburg.”
Ali Sablay, Gift of the Givers project manager, said they were honoured to be part of Margaret’s milestone.
Sablay says: “It was a day of excitement and joy; not only for the birthday girl, but for the residents as well.
“The Old Age home has been severely affected since the Covid-19 pandemic and has faced challenges of closing down over the last two years due to budget cuts and (a lack of) financial support.
“Gift of the Givers has not only been supporting, but also runs the biggest feeding schemes in Touws River.”
Shoprite sponsored the birthday cake and other luxuries, and Ouma Honderd blew out the candles to make her birthday wish.
Genevieve Serra
www.dailyvoice.co.za
