Avid reader turns 90

“She really is a pioneer of Benoni, she has helped many Indians who settled in Benoni,” said Sukku Ranchod, Kapitan’s daughter.

“My mother brought one of the first Indian families to Benoni and helped the culture to stay alive.

“She has a good sense of humour, she has always lived honestly, never cheated in any way.”

Kapitan was born to Gopal and Dayli Kapadia in Gujarat, India, in 1925.

She married Choonilal Kapitan in 1941, but he passed away about 32 years ago.

They had seven children together, Kishore, Sudha, Jayshree Solanki, Lilly Ratanjee, Bharti Daya, Neela Phukan and Sukku Ranchod.

She became grandmother to 14 children and has eight great-grandchildren.

In 1950, Kapitan moved to Benoni, where she has lived ever since, first in Actonville, then in Rynsoord and now in Northmead.

In the early days she worked with her husband, running a clothing shop in Actonville, while she lived there, but also spent a lot of time taking care of others, such as her seven children and neighbours who needed help.

She learned to speak Zulu fairly well while she worked in Actonville, but still doesn’t speak much English.

“My mother kept the language (Gujarati) and Indian traditions alive within Benoni,” said Ranchod.

Kapitan has lived a harsh life, losing her mother when she was eight, then a daughter-in-law, two grandchildren and her husband, while one of her daughters is a cancer survivor.

“She still reads a lot, to keep her mind sharp, I bring stacks of books each time, then she reads through them quickly,” said Ranchod.

“We can’t even find Gujarati books, we have to beg people to find these books for her.”