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Masebo Matlakala is a 101-year-old gogo from the deep rural village of Kgopaneng, outside the mining development town of Burgersfort in Limpopo who still makes grass brooms despite her age.
The mother of 9 children, 39 grandchildren and 98 great-grandchildren, told Briefly News in an interview that she wakes up early every morning to do house chores. When she’s done with that, the gogo then spends her days hand-making rugs, using bamboo sticks from the river bank and brooms, using grass collected from the field.
“I have learned the skill from my mother some years ago while I was young. I started to craft and knit to make money for a living”.
“I collect my rugs from the river and I collect grass from the field to make brooms”.
The knitting and handcraft skills now run in the family.
“I have learned this skill from my mother at an early age while I was young when she realised the interest that I developed in her work.
“Some years ago, when I was tired of being harrased by police searching my house and arresting me for brewing and selling homemade dry gin, I decided to do something to change my life”. Matlakala said.
The centenarian uses her self-made table, needle, stones and wool to make rugs with bamboo sticks.
Gogo Matlakala celebrated her 100th birthday with family in September last year:
“I have lived during the dark days of oppression and survived until today to see democracy. My advise for living many years is eating a healthy, balanced diet and working hard.”
“My work keeps me young. I work daily to keep myself healthy and this helps me to fight old-age chronic illness.”
Matlakala’s favourite food is milk and Mabele pap, as well as indigenous morogo. She enjoys eating grapes and maize too.
“I still toil the land and plough maize to sell at the social grand pay point to make money. I know how it feel to be without a source if income.”