A special Christmas cheer for gogos

08-12-2014
 

Christmas came early for the old timers and old ladies of Diepsloot thanks to the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), the City of Johannesburg’s property arm.

The JPC’s staff on Monday threw a party to remember for the township’s senior citizens at the Diepsloot Youth Centre and what a party it was!
 

Not only was the food finger-licking good, the music was also simply great – out of the top drawer.

The DJ’s soulful repertoire took them down Memory Lane – including the Swinging Sixties and the Sizzling Seventies – when they were in their prime, hogging the social scene in their respective neighbourhoods.
 

Despite their advanced ages and weak knees, many of them could not resist taking to the dance floor.

Granny Glorina Mofokeng, at 104 years old, was one of those who were moved by the beat of danceable tunes such as Hugh Masekela’s Thanayi.
 

Defying her obviously not so willing knees, Gogo Mofokeng grabbed her walking stick and stormed the floor, intent on showing the younger generation how she and her buddies used to do the shuffle in the years gone by.

“Ke ne ke batla go ba bontsa shona phansi (I wanted to show them how to get down),” she quipped afterwards.
 

According to her daughter, Miriam Matoti (76), her mother, who at her age does not wear spectacles or use hearing aids, is still able to wake up early in the morning and prepare her favourite soft porridge. Mofokeng is also able to wash herself.

“It is very rare to hear mama complain about illnesses like flu,” said Matoti, who correctly noted that her mother, who was born in 1910, was “as old as the Union of South Africa”. 
 

To acknowledge the old lady’s achievements and to celebrate her age, the JPC presented her with a special gift.

“We are blessed to be in the company of people as old as Granny Mofokeng,” said JPC’s Chief Operating Officer, Kululwa Muthwa. 

The company felt it was the right thing to throw a Christmas party for the elderly.

“Our choice of Diepsloot as the place to entertain the elderly was informed largely by the quality of life here. From time to time, we would host a party for toddlers. This time around, we wanted to cheer up the elderly,” said Muthwa.
 

Last week, the JPC threw a surprise Christmas party for underprivileged children at Fun Valley in Johannesburg’s Region G.