Renette de Sousa of Standerton explores life in all its dimensions

Ms Renette de Sousa of Standerton has been wearing many hats, but objects strenuously to being called a jack of all trades on account of the pejorative ‘and master of none’.

Her mother was the one who thought a secretarial course after school would benefit her daughter, who dithered between becoming an advocate or social worker.

Renette grew up as the eldest daughter in a family of four girls and one boy, of which her one sister and only brother, still live in town.

Her accomplishments cover a wide range of disciplines, such as health, beauty, slimming, member of the Chef’s Association back in 1996, a college diploma after competing a course in fitness and nutrition, a course in body language, a course in business management and an estate agent’s examination successfully completed.

The latest edition to her cv encompasses a course in neuro-linguistic-programming.

She attended a year-long-course every month over the weekend in Johannesburg, where a former academic in jurisprudence and philosophy, tutored the students.

“The class of 2019 had 15 students with ages ranging between 18 and 60-something,” Renette said.

“I now focus on remote and energy healing.”

The motivation for the new direction her life has taken, lies in the traumatic experience after being attacked in their home and subsequent murder and death of her husband Manuel, her divorce and second marriage, as well as losing everything in a fire, when her restaurant cum cafe cum pub and grill in Krogh Street, burnt to timbers 14 years later.

“People began making contact with me after Manuel’s death, wanting advice on how to handle difficult situations in life,” she also said.

“The story was covered on television and in newspapers and magazines.”

According to her, she realised you have to dig deeper to find out who and what you are.

“I could talk and relate to people because I went on that journey myself.”

Renette wanted to empower herself and began asking the age-old-questions such as how does fact and fiction differ, where does imagination come into it and how does a person work.

She has two sons, Vernon and Clinton, who at one stage, shared a flat in Pretoria until Clinton got married and moved to Umhlanga with his wife Dorien.

Vernon still stays in Centurion.

“I am not yet a grandmother,” she laughingly conceded.

She is community-conscious and serves on the local Cansa-committee and was a regular volunteer and run director at the parkrun.

“We are small group of people who try to walk Mondays to Fridays.”

Spiritually-wise, she is nourished by her Bible-study, the church’s coffee and door duties and a group, aiming to care for the emotional well-being of people.

Renette takes housewife duties in her stride.

“I am not one of those people waking up and immediately asking, what are we going to eat this evening.”
Music also speaks to her soul.

“My father used to play in a band and I was put on a table, in my carry cot, while the band performed.”

Vernon was a member of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School and both boys were members of the Highveld Choir.

Her two pugs, Batman and Robin, keep her company and oh yes, she loves gardening, needlework and the crafts, but reading however, remains a firm favourite.

Learning to say ‘no’ however, did not come naturally to her.

“If it’s not your package, don’t pick it up,” she concluded.