She was saying, ’’What’s the point of being alive? I just sit here doing nothing.’’ And a few months later, South African Johanna Mazibuko passed away at the whopping age of 128, making her what is believed to be the ’’world’s oldest woman.’’ Here is a look at her fascinating journey that has expanded over 3 centuries.
She had a peaceful life.
According to those in her inner circle, Mazibuko possessed identification documents that verified her date of birth as May 11, 1894. She was raised on a maize farm and never went to school. She could not read or write
Mazibuko was the eldest of 12 children, and 3 of her youngest siblings are still alive.
“We lived so well on the farms,” she said of her childhood in an interview. “I grew up healthy, eating mostly fresh milk and wild spinach. Now I eat modern food. I am used to it but I miss the food I grew up on.”
A few of her kids are still alive.
Even though she doesn’t remember the exact date, Mazibuko had married an older widower who owned cows, and she would make butter. She led a happy life with him, saying, “He made sure I did not want for anything.”
The couple had 7 children, 2 of whom are still alive. She has more than 50 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She was wondering about the meaning of her existence.
A few weeks before her death, Johanna was taken to a hospital and got treated for a stroke. She was discharged after 2 weeks and passed away 3 days later at home.
Just last year, on her 128th birthday, she told an interviewer, “I am amazed at why I am still here after so many years. Why am I still here? People around me have been dying.”
Needless to say, Johanna Mazibuko had an impressive life and has been around during major historical events. Her memory will surely live on through the many generations she left behind.
