Background
Born at Mount Fletcher in the Drakensberg, she grew up in humble environs, the sixth of seven children.
Born at Mount Fletcher in the Drakensberg, she grew up in humble environs, the sixth of seven children.
She was educated at Lovedale School before qualifying as a teacher at Adams College near Durban.
She lived in Ngcingwane, a rural hamlet near Dutywa, one of South Africa"s poorest municipalities. She was known 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."
Early every morning before school, she would chase birds from her father"s sorghum fields before returning after school for further bird-chasing.
Mbeki was the brains behind the Khanyisa beadwork project, which has sustained the art of traditional African beadwork and provided livelihoods for 24 Ngcingwanean women.
Sesotho-speaking and traditionalist, Mbeki placed great importance on 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.
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, "Number, that"s not proper because, when I get there, I"ll be as dull as you people.
I"ll be just as dull."" Her son, Thabo, attributed much of his political success to the wisdom of his mother, but she disagreed: "I wouldn"t call it wisdom. lieutenant"s an attitude, the attitude of self-last. He should forget about the ego and listen to the next manitoba
That"s really what he must do.
I think he has managed. I think he has managed.".
"I wouldn"t do as a member of parliament.