Natural remedies and exercise are the secrets to longevity, according to Kimberley resident Griet Magereth Messelaar, who recently celebrated her 105th birthday.
NATURAL remedies and exercise are the secrets to longevity, according to Kimberley resident Griet Magereth Messelaar, who recently celebrated her 105th birthday.
Griet, a member of the advisory council of the Griqua Royal House cultural and traditional institution, has outlived three of her children, two of whom died due to Covid-19.
Leader of the Griqua Royal House, Captain Aaron Messelaar, shared that a giant cake was ordered to celebrate his mother’s remarkable milestone.
“Her oldest son would have turned 74, and her youngest child is 54,” said Aaron.
He added that Griet is the matriarch of a large family that includes nine children, 24 grandchildren, 54 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren.
“She always told us that we would have long and prosperous lives if we honoured our parents,” Aaron shared. “She took care of her grandmother. My mother is the only surviving sibling among six brothers and sisters.”
He added that Griet is a strong believer in the power of herbal medicine, which she used to maintain her and her children’s good health.
“She hardly ever consulted a medical doctor to cure her ailments. She also walks every day to keep fit.”
Aaron recalled that Griet attended her granddaughter’s wedding two weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
“She was forced to stay on in Elsies River, Cape Town, with my brother Andrew because the entire country was placed under lockdown. They were only allowed to travel back to Kimberley in July 2020 when the borders were reopened.”
Tragically, Andrew, Griet’s eldest son, passed away in 2020 at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley after contracting Covid-19 from a doctor during a consultation.
“Four months later, her second eldest son, Paulus, also died as a result of Covid-19 on January 10, 2021. It was devastating for her to bury her children,” Aaron said.
Despite the heartbreak, Griet has carried on her family traditions. She continues creating Griqua crafts, a skill passed down by her grandmother, Griet Pienaar, who lived to the age of 106 years.
“She does it in her free time and teaches other women these skills. Following the death of her husband, she decided to sell her crafts so that she could earn an income,” Aaron explained.
Aaron credits his mother for teaching him Griqua culture, which is the inspiration behind his books. Although she could not read or write, her knowledge and oral storytelling were invaluable.
“My mother only attended school for a few days as her mother died during childbirth when she was very young. She was forced to leave school so that she could assist our grandmother in raising her baby sister,” Aaron said.
“The Griqua culture is rooted in customs, premonitions and superstitions and her in-depth knowledge enabled me to write books. My first book, ‘Forgotten but Not Buried’ (2015), documents our history dating back to the colonial and apartheid era. The book was later translated into Afrikaans with the title ‘Die Griekwa Is Nog’ by the chairperson of the Afrikaans Language Board, Dr Hendrik Theys.”
Aaron added that his mother was very strict.
“Whenever we misbehaved, she would allow us to sleep early and the following morning we would be awoken at around 5am and all the children would be punished. We realised that this was to teach us to stand up for each other and it brought us closer together,” he mused.
