Legendary ‘Nesi’ turns 103
“She knows the day you were born... and the weather. If you are twins, she knows which one of you came out first.”
Retired midwife “Nesi” Khungiwe Sophia Kate-Cetu celebrated her 103rd birthday last Friday with loved ones in her Ngcakeni home − and it was there that stories of her legendary status in the Joza and Tantyi communities emerged. Family friend Daki Nkayi, said Kate-Cetu was someone everyone in the community knew, and who was called on by every family for her midwifery skills.
“Nesi was so good at what she did that complete strangers, sometimes men, would come to fetch her at her house during odd hours.”
As well known as KateCetu herself was the brown suitcase she took everywhere with her. “You saw that brown suitcase go with uNesi into a house, and you knew that very soon, there would be a crying baby inside and nappies on the line,” Nkayi said.
“That suitcase should be in a museum.
“Children would say in those days, if you asked them where they come from, they would say, ‘ Oh, I am from Nesi,’” Nkayi said.
“Anything could have happened to you − but it is amazing because you are still here with us,” she said, addressing Kate-Cetu, who sat on the sofa with three close friends who are also retired nurses..
“If you were delivered by Nesi then you will have a hard time lying about your age in her presence because she remembers each and every one of the babies she helped.”
Kate-Cetu’s oldest daughter, Nikiwe Cetu, 73, said one of the things that kept her mother going up to the this age was the fact that they always listened to her as a parent and tried their best to do the right thing.
“Children often frustrate their parents to a point where when they make them old. They think of all the bad things that (we did) and the way we mishandled them and that stresses them out,” she said.
Nikiwe also mentioned that her mother does not believe in using muthi for her ailments, but would rather pray or go the doctor.
Among the guests at the celebration was Makana Mayor Nomhle Gaga, herself a former nurse.
Gaga thanked Khungiwe for the role she played in Grahamstown and for being so courageous and sacrificing her safety in walking long distances to ensure safe births all around the town.
“You have brought so many people into the world. But not only that − you taught mothers how to bathe and breastfeed their newborn babies and you prioritised their wellbeing, because in your day we would never hear of maternal or child deaths,” she said.
Kate-Cetu thanked everyone for coming to celebrate the special day with her.
“Maybe this is my last birthday − I don’t know − but I thank you for being with me and my children on this special day,” she said.