Her memory might fail her at times, but at 100 years of age, Sophia Watlington, of Crawford, still enjoys showing off her moves on the dance floor.
Her family and friends gathered at the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church hall in Hazendal on Thursday August 17 to honour Ms Watlington on her 100th birthday.
Ms Watlington is also known as Auntie Maggie “the walking lady” because she used to enjoy walking and would walk wherever she needed to be, says her daughter, Isabel Watlington.
“My mom has a kind heart, and she liked to help where she could. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, she still collected the Athlone News from our local shop and took it to our neighbours who could not walk. She loved doing errands for them, hence they started calling her ‘the walking lady’. She still enjoys good health and does not have any chronic illnesses and she also is not on any medication.”
Sally Naylor, Ms Watlington’s cousin, says she walked until late in her 90s.
“She walked as far as Woodstock. I remember a few years ago, she walked to Lansdowne and a man grabbed her bag off her shoulder. When he looked in it, he was so upset to only find a R2 in it, and he threw the bag back at her. We had such a good laugh when she told us about it. She later got confused about where she was, but she never forgot her address, and the last time she walked, some people brought her home.”
Isabel says her mother still helps out with chores at home and can often be found drying the dishes or peeling vegetables.
“Her love for dancing comes from the time our father used to play in a band. The two of them loved dancing,” she adds.
Ms Watlington says her secret to a long and healthy life is that she trusts in God and honoured her parents.
She grew up in District Six and settled in Crawford after the forced removals. Her husband, Jeff, died 36 years ago. She has four children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.