Epainette Mbeki
Encyclopedia
Epainette Mbeki (born February 16, 1916), commonly known as "MaMbeki", is the mother of former South African president Thabo Mbeki
and widow of political activist Govan Mbeki
. She lives in Ngcingwane, a rural hamlet near Dutywa, one of South Africa
's poorest municipalities. She is highly respected there both for her auspicious relatives and, more importantly to her, her endeavours to improve the residents' quality of life. Gillian Rennie, in an award-winning profile, quoted a co-worker as saying, "She is not like other retired people, getting a pension and saying, 'Let me play golf and fish a bit.' The old lady is a humble person."
Born Nomaka Epainette Moerane, at Mount Fletcher in the Drakensberg, she grew up in humble environs, the sixth of seven children. Early every morning before school, she would chase birds from her father's sorghum fields before returning after school for further bird-chasing. She cites this as the reason for the industrious aptitude that she retains into her nineties, an aptitude that she wishes others would share.
Mbeki is the brains behind the Khanyisa beadwork project, which has sustained the art of traditional African beadwork and provided livelihoods for 24 Ngcingwanean women. She is a prominent force in the Linda Mbeki Hospice
, which operates from the former Mbeki home in Mbewuleni
, and was founded to commemorate the life of her daughter, who died in 2005. Mbeki also established the Nomaka Mbeki Technical Senior Secondary School
and owns the Goodwill Trading Store, whose cash-counting and bookkeeping she does herself.
Her son, Thabo, attributes much of his political success to the wisdom of his mother, but she disagrees: "I wouldn't call it wisdom; it's an attitude, the attitude of self-last. He should forget about the ego and listen to the next man. That's really what he must do. I think he has managed; I think he has managed."
Mbeki takes great pride in her accolades, among which are the Community Builder of the Year award (for which she had to go "all the way to Johannesburg"), a NAFCOC founder member award, a Transkei chamber stalwart award, the King Cetshwayo African Image Award and the Eastern Cape arts and culture award for Khanyisa, given her by Arnold Stofile
.
Sotho
-speaking and traditionalist, Mbeki places great importance education
. Although it has been suggested, not least by Stofile (to whom Mbeki gave her religion), that she venture into politics, she has never been especially enamoured with the idea. "I wouldn't do as a member of parliament. You have to live with the people; you have to move among the people, to know their conditions [...]. Premier Makhenkesi says, 'I think you should belong to my government.' I say, 'No, that's not proper because, when I get there, I'll be as dull as you people. I'll be just as dull.'"
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki...
and widow of political activist Govan Mbeki
Govan Mbeki
Govan Archibald Mvuyelwa Mbeki was a South African politician, and father of the former South African president Thabo Mbeki and political economist Moeletsi Mbeki...
. She lives in Ngcingwane, a rural hamlet near Dutywa, one of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's poorest municipalities. She is highly respected there both for her auspicious relatives and, more importantly to her, her endeavours to improve the residents' quality of life. Gillian Rennie, in an award-winning profile, quoted a co-worker as saying, "She is not like other retired people, getting a pension and saying, 'Let me play golf and fish a bit.' The old lady is a humble person."
Born Nomaka Epainette Moerane, at Mount Fletcher in the Drakensberg, she grew up in humble environs, the sixth of seven children. Early every morning before school, she would chase birds from her father's sorghum fields before returning after school for further bird-chasing. She cites this as the reason for the industrious aptitude that she retains into her nineties, an aptitude that she wishes others would share.
Mbeki is the brains behind the Khanyisa beadwork project, which has sustained the art of traditional African beadwork and provided livelihoods for 24 Ngcingwanean women. She is a prominent force in the Linda Mbeki Hospice
Linda Mbeki Hospice
The Linda Mbeki Hospice is a hospice in Mbewuleni, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Operating from the former home of former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki, the facility was named after the daughter of Govan and Epainette Mbeki following her death in 2005. It famously had a staff of three,...
, which operates from the former Mbeki home in Mbewuleni
Mbewuleni
Mbewuleni is a remote village in the Mbhashe Municipality of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. Its primary claim to fame is as the hometown of former state president Thabo Mbeki. Poor and bucolic, its telephone system is solar-powered. The largest family in Mbewuleni is the Mpahlwa family. The...
, and was founded to commemorate the life of her daughter, who died in 2005. Mbeki also established the Nomaka Mbeki Technical Senior Secondary School
Nomaka Mbeki Technical Senior Secondary School
The Nomaka Mbeki Technical Senior Secondary School, established by Epainette Mbeki, is a secondary institution in Ngcingwane, a rural hamlet near Dutywa, one of South Africa's poorest municipalities. It caters for Grades Ten to Twelve, and has been recognised as one of the region's four S4 schools...
and owns the Goodwill Trading Store, whose cash-counting and bookkeeping she does herself.
Her son, Thabo, attributes much of his political success to the wisdom of his mother, but she disagrees: "I wouldn't call it wisdom; it's an attitude, the attitude of self-last. He should forget about the ego and listen to the next man. That's really what he must do. I think he has managed; I think he has managed."
Mbeki takes great pride in her accolades, among which are the Community Builder of the Year award (for which she had to go "all the way to Johannesburg"), a NAFCOC founder member award, a Transkei chamber stalwart award, the King Cetshwayo African Image Award and the Eastern Cape arts and culture award for Khanyisa, given her by Arnold Stofile
Arnold Stofile
Makhenkesi Arnold Stofile is a South African politician, and was Minister of Sport and Recreation from 2004 to 2010. Stofile was born in Adelaide in the Eastern Cape...
.
Sotho
Sotho
Sotho may refer to:*The Sotho people , an African ethnic group principally resident in South Africa and Lesotho.*The Sotho language , a Bantu Language spoken in southern Africa, an official language of both South Africa and Lesotho.*The Northern Sotho language , a group of related Bantu dialects...
-speaking and traditionalist, Mbeki places great importance education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
. Although it has been suggested, not least by Stofile (to whom Mbeki gave her religion), that she venture into politics, she has never been especially enamoured with the idea. "I wouldn't do as a member of parliament. You have to live with the people; you have to move among the people, to know their conditions [...]. Premier Makhenkesi says, 'I think you should belong to my government.' I say, 'No, that's not proper because, when I get there, I'll be as dull as you people. I'll be just as dull.'"