101-year-old gets jab, beats Covid to boot

AT 101, Chithekile Hlabisa has survived a lot, including catching Covid-19.

This week, Hlabisa was among the oldest people in the country to be vaccinated against Coving-19 which has claimed many lives, including her daughter’s.

Hlabisa and her daughter, Nelisiwe, were both struck by the illness. Nelisiwe succumbed to the disease but Hlabisa pulled through after spending a month in Empangeni’s Ngwelezane Hospital.

Yesterday, she took the opportunity to get vaccinated during a short programme in the Mzingazi area.

While she has been hailed as being resilient, Hlabisa said she was grateful for the grace of God because she thought she had reached the end of her life as she also suffered from a heart condition.

“Because I have battled a heart condition for the better part of my life, I was almost certain that getting infected with the coronavirus would be the end for me.

“Compounding this with the death of my daughter, Nelisiwe, who succumbed to the virus, I thought my infection was the final nail in the coffin. It is only by the grace of God that I am still alive,” said Hlabisa, when asked about her secret for longevity.

“I have been waiting patiently for the vaccine.

“Being hospitalised for this virus can be a scary episode. I was only too happy to hear that now we are vaccinating,” she said.

She encouraged people of her age – and younger – to get their injection as soon as possible.

“I was afraid earlier on. But after getting more information about how the vaccine is intended to help, I was determined to take it as soon as it arrived,” said Hlabisa.

City of uMhlathuze mayor Mduduzi Mhlongo showered Hlabisa with gifts that included a wheelchair, blankets, dressing gown, slippers and two baskets full of fresh fruit.

Mhlongo described her as “an immensely resilient woman”.

“Her resilience is encouraging to everyone, giving hope that we can indeed defeat this pandemic,” he said.

In the City of uMhlathuze, he said, they had more than 20 vaccination sites and some senior citizens would be vaccinated in their homes. He urged senior citizens to take up the opportunity.