Gogo (101) on radio

SESHEGO – TWO of the oldest people in the province recently celebrated their birthdays with the Energy FM team in their studio during the Ashifa breakfast show.

Grace Makgona Mamabolo (101) from Seshego shared a joint birthday celebration with Mankuke Mohale (104) from Botlokwa.

The two said they were grateful for the party and it was their best by far. They said it was good to know that the youth still appreciated elderly people.

Speaking fondly of his youth, Mohale said he always enjoyed spending time with his friends and playing games such as morabaraba, and running long distances because vehicles were not fashionable then.

He said they also ate a lot of morogo, which contributed to their health, which was why he had lived so long.

“I am concerned about the youth today; they don’t respect culture and are not humble towards each other. One needs to show compassion to others,” he said.

Also recalling her youth, Mamabolo said life was easy back then and goods were less expensive. She said she went to school up to the then Std. 5 and was grateful for the opportunity because she could read. She said she moved to Johannesburg where she worked as a domestic worker for over 10 years. “I was blessed with six children and 23 grandchildren, but some of them have since passed away.” She further said people of her generation cared and respected each other and life was peaceful then.

Mamabolo advised people to stop xenophobic attacks and embrace the spirit of love and peace so that they could live longer.

One of the breakfast show presenters, Betthuel “BK” Matiye, said the joint party was a celebration of the two people’s lives.

He said as integral members of the community it was their responsibility to honour them for their contribution to the community. “As a local radio station, we wanted to celebrate the senior citizens because they are a part of us. We often overlook them and hardly engage them in the activities we do as youths, so we hope they will appreciate our efforts and enjoy,” he said.

Mpho Maumela, also a presenter, said the station cared for the society and they were concerned about the well being of their audience. “We don’t just say things, our actions also prove that we care about our people, which is why we hosted this event.” She said it was a blessing to celebrate with two people who had such an interesting local history to share.

The breakfast team was unanimous that the best part of the celebration was when Mamabolo read the 09:00 news. “She is by far the oldest person I have heard reading the news on radio. She truly is an inspiration to us,” Matiye said.