South African, 119, may be world’s oldest person
Having lived through British imperialism, apartheid and the era of democracy led by Nelson Mandela, a 119-year-old South African woman has a claim to be the world’s oldest person.
Johanna Mazibuko was born in 1894, according to her identity papers, but over a century later still makes her own bed every morning.
“I’m doing alright,” she told local daily The Sowetan during a recent visit to her house in the small town of Klerksdorp, northwest of Johannesburg.
She is the oldest of 10 siblings, and has outlived five of her own seven children.
“God gave my life in abundance, plus a bonus. I am very old now,” she said.
Her son Tseko, himself a ripe 77, who lives with his mother, said that “she is able to move on her own but cannot stand for a long time. She gets dizzy.”
Despite her age, Mazibuko cooks and dresses herself, and even does the laundry.
The rest of the day she watches television.
A tattered green ID book gives her date of birth as May 11, 1894. It was issued in 1986.
South Africa’s home affairs ministry could not immediately confirm the authenticity of Mazibuko’s identity documents, of which AFP has seen a copy.
The world’s oldest known person, 116-year-old Jiroemon Kimura from Japan, died in June.
Born in 1897, he worked at a post office for 40 years and after his retirement took up farming until he turned 90.
His hometown Kyotango is planning to do research into the reasons for its citizens’ longevity.
Besides Kimura 94 other people in his hometown will this year be 100 years old or older.
Mugabe rivals complain voters’ roll still secret
Tendai Biti delivers his midterm state of the economy address on July 25, 2013 in Harare/AFP
HARARE, July 29 – President Robert Mugabe’s rivals complained Monday they have not yet received a copy of the electoral roll, just two days before Zimbabweans go to the polls.
Amid suspicions the list of voters is being doctored to ensure a victory for Mugabe Wednesday, Finance Minister Tendai Biti said his Movement for Democratic Change would take legal action to obtain a copy.
“With virtually a day to go to the election, no political party in Zimbabwe other than ZANU-PF perhaps has got a copy of the final voters roll,” he told reporters.
“Our lawyers are in the process of filing a court application to actually obtain a copy of that voters roll,” said Biti.
In June, an NGO called Research and Advocacy Unit focusing on Zimbabwe politics, reported the existing voter list included around one million dead voters or people who have moved abroad, as well as over 100,000 people aged over 100 years old.
The MDC has alledged these “ghost voters” tend to back Mugabe.
Biti said the MDC, which seeks to end Mugabe’s 33 year rule, has neither received a full list of polling centres nor a count of the number of ballot papers printed for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
“We have asked for a final list of the polling stations and ZEC again has not provided us with the final list of the polling stations,” he said.
Biti also said the arrest of Morgan Komichi, the senior election organiser of Tsvangirai, at this election was meant to harass and cripple their campaign.
“By arresting Morgan Komichi you are in fact crippling the operations (of) our presidential campaign,” he said.
Biti warned that if the electoral commission announces fraudulent results, the MDC is ready to announce its own tally.
“We are not going to accept illegality again, the people of Zimbabwe want change.”
Mugabe on Sunday warned MDC presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai against announcing results before the official count.
“I can tell you in advance that if you breach the rules and you become a law breaker, the law breakers are arrested,” he said.
