Vosloorus celebrates Matlakala Dlamini

Her family, friends, relatives and former colleagues arrived in large numbers.

Clad in colourful uniforms, they filled the Vosloorus Old Age Home hall to honour one of their own, Stephina Matlakala Dlamini (83).

Born in Wattville in 1936, Dlamini was 28 when her family moved to Vosloorus in 1964. It was here that she first came face to face with the inhumane treatment of the elderly by the apartheid government. She told Kathorus MAIL she took it upon herself to fight against what she described as the rampant disrespect shown by the apartheid system against African pensioners in the townships.

Ousie Matlakala, as the respected self-trained social worker, activist and veteran resident of Vosloorus is affectionately known, has been hailed as the founding pillar of Vosloorus Old Age Home. Her involvement with the home dates back more than four decades; she was selflessly dedicated to improving the lives of the elderly in the township.

Without any formal training in social welfare, Dlamini boldly went on to uplift the lives of pensioners around the township by offering them free meals at pension pay points. She even arranged to assist others to have access to medical assistance at the local clinic. In her quest to see the lives of elderly people improved, a young Dlamini went knocking on the doors of a number of corporate companies for donations.

When Nedbank contributed some funds, she purchased a Nissan bakkie and continued her work in earnest. Speaking at the ceremony held in her honour on November 29 at the old age home, Dlamini thanked the community of Vosloorus as well as government officials from the Department of Social of Development who have supported her over the years in her work to care for the aged.

Dlamini described her dedication to her work as a calling and told the audience that looking back, she had no regrets about what she has done for the elderly in Vosloorus. Quoting Timothy 2:4, Dlamini said: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.”

Under her tenure as manager of the Vosloorus Old Age Home, Dlamini was one of the first local officials to acknowledge and utilise Kathorus MAIL as a local newspaper after its launch in 2002.

“It gives me great pleasure to have been part of this growing publication since its inception and today, Kathorus MAIL is here to celebrate with me the highlights of my life as an administrator of the Vosloorus Old Age Home,” she said.