The Tsolo-born lady believes the secret to her longevity can be attributed to her eating habits.
The mother of five – who can still walk and has sharp eyesight, a surprisingly good memory and a good sense of humour – told the Daily Dispatch on Friday that she was still eating the same diet she grew up on.
“I was not a person who grew up eating everything that was given to me. I grew up eating mealies, iinkobe [boiled corn], home-brewed drinks like mageu and also sour milk and pap, not forgetting my samp and beans and soup,” she said.
When the Dispatch team visited her at her four-roomed house in Mdantsane NU2, which she shares with her daughter and six-year-old great-granddaughter, Jevu initially refused to leave her bed in her room for “newspapermen”.
“I am resting here. What news are you going to write about me? I’ve got no interest in newspapermen,” she jokingly said.
But when she emerged from her room, assisted by her daughter Ntomboxolo, 53, and granddaughter, Azola, 25, she was curious about what was going on.
“Who are you? Where are you from? What can I do for you? I have no news to tell,” she said.
But once she took her seat on her favourite sofa, she began to open up about her life.
“I know I am the oldest here [in South Africa]. I know no one who is my age, you can check my books, I am old enough,” she said.
While Jevu may be the oldest person alive in South Africa, she may also be the oldest person in the world.
On April 21, American news channel CBS said the oldest person at the time had been Japanese national Nabi Tajima, who died aged 117.
Tajima was living at a nursing centre for the elderly.
Tajima became the world’s oldest person last year, after the death of Violet Brown of Jamaica, also 117.
Jevu still has identification documents – the infamous dompas, a Ciskei homeland ID and a green barcoded ID. All record her birth date as May 14 1901.
She got the reference book in the 1940s when she started working in East London.
During her many years living in East London, she retired in 1990 after working for 19 years at the Cambridge Sports Club.
In 1988, she said was earning R42 a week and when she retired, her pension was R600.
Instead of being dejected by that – she went on to work on her maize fields in Mdantsane – something she did until she finally retired from working in 2013 – aged 112.
Ntomboxolo said her mother’s memory was still sharp.
“She still has the memory of the killing of the Duncan Village nun, a story that made headlines worldwide.
“Today, we want her to make headlines the world over as the oldest person alive and we want authorities to recognise that,” she said.
Jevu, a devoted member of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, had to be boarded from the church because of her advanced age.
Her church leader, Nokubonga Fuzile, 64, said: “Jevu is a person who loves church and does not forget Reverend Zuzile Notshe. She’s been with the church for many years.” — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
WATCH: At 117 granny Boniswa is oldest person alive
Possibly the oldest person in the world, Boniswa Paulina Jevu, celebrated her 117th birthday at her Mdantsane home last Monday.
Possibly the oldest person in the world, Boniswa Paulina Jevu, celebrated her 117th birthday at her Mdantsane home last Monday.
The Tsolo-born lady believes the secret to her longevity can be attributed to her eating habits.
The mother of five – who can still walk and has sharp eyesight, a surprisingly good memory and a good sense of humour – told the Daily Dispatch on Friday that she was still eating the same diet she grew up on.
“I was not a person who grew up eating everything that was given to me. I grew up eating mealies, iinkobe [boiled corn], home-brewed drinks like mageu and also sour milk and pap, not forgetting my samp and beans and soup,” she said.
When the Dispatch team visited her at her four-roomed house in Mdantsane NU2, which she shares with her daughter and six-year-old great-granddaughter, Jevu initially refused to leave her bed in her room for “newspapermen”.
“I am resting here. What news are you going to write about me? I’ve got no interest in newspapermen,” she jokingly said.
But when she emerged from her room, assisted by her daughter Ntomboxolo, 53, and granddaughter, Azola, 25, she was curious about what was going on.
“Who are you? Where are you from? What can I do for you? I have no news to tell,” she said.
But once she took her seat on her favourite sofa, she began to open up about her life.
“I know I am the oldest here [in South Africa]. I know no one who is my age, you can check my books, I am old enough,” she said.
While Jevu may be the oldest person alive in South Africa, she may also be the oldest person in the world.
On April 21, American news channel CBS said the oldest person at the time had been Japanese national Nabi Tajima, who died aged 117.
Tajima was living at a nursing centre for the elderly.
Tajima became the world’s oldest person last year, after the death of Violet Brown of Jamaica, also 117.
Jevu still has identification documents – the infamous dompas, a Ciskei homeland ID and a green barcoded ID. All record her birth date as May 14 1901.
She got the reference book in the 1940s when she started working in East London.
During her many years living in East London, she retired in 1990 after working for 19 years at the Cambridge Sports Club.
In 1988, she said was earning R42 a week and when she retired, her pension was R600.
Instead of being dejected by that – she went on to work on her maize fields in Mdantsane – something she did until she finally retired from working in 2013 – aged 112.
Ntomboxolo said her mother’s memory was still sharp.
“She still has the memory of the killing of the Duncan Village nun, a story that made headlines worldwide.
“Today, we want her to make headlines the world over as the oldest person alive and we want authorities to recognise that,” she said.
Jevu, a devoted member of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, had to be boarded from the church because of her advanced age.
Her church leader, Nokubonga Fuzile, 64, said: “Jevu is a person who loves church and does not forget Reverend Zuzile Notshe. She’s been with the church for many years.” — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
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