By Edson Baraukwa | Africa Guardian
A South African woman marked her 118th birthday on Friday, celebrating as one of the oldest individuals globally with a small gathering at her care home. Margaret Maritz, born on September 27, 1906, according to a copy of her identity card shared by a charity that organized the celebration in Touws River, approximately 180 km northeast of Cape Town, may potentially be older than Japan’s Tomiko Itooka, born on May 23, 1908, who is recognized by the US-based Gerontology Research Group as the world’s oldest living person.
While Maritz’s age has not been independently verified, if confirmed, she would surpass Itooka. The record for the oldest verified person ever is held by French national Jeanne Calment, who lived to be 122 years and 164 days.
During the party, Maritz, surrounded by two of her 14 children, blew out a candle on a large pink birthday cake. “She often reflects on her youth, emphasizing the importance of respecting one’s parents. She has never smoked or drank,” noted Gregory Elroy Adams, a senior nurse at the home.
Her daughter, Liza Daniels, 67, expressed gratitude, stating, “It’s a significant privilege to have a mother reach this age. I don’t know if I will ever reach that milestone myself.”
The Guinness World Records website mentions that while several individuals have been claimed to be older than Jeanne Calment, there has never been sufficient evidence to substantiate these claims.
The oldest known South African, Johanna Mazibuko, passed away in March 2023, just two months shy of her 129th birthday. Mazibuko was born on May 11, 1894, but her identity papers were not verified by authorities.
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