At 100 years old, MaTshezi Ntshewula has had to endure more hardships and struggles than anyone should have to. But she can leave those troubles outside her front door now.
And that is exactly what the elderly Mbizana resident did when she ululated and danced with excitement before breaking down and shedding tears of joy when she received the keys to her new three-roomed house last week.
The house was built for her by Sinombuso Funeral Services, which has offices in several Eastern Cape towns including Mbizana, Lusikisiki and Port St Johns as well as Harding in KwaZulu-Natal.
The undertaker was touched after visiting Ntshewula at her home in 2025 and seeing first-hand her living conditions.
Ntshewula said her tears were brought about by the fact that she never thought she could ever own a beautiful home in her life.
“My life has been tough. Imagine getting to 100 years and not knowing if your luck will ever change or not,” she said.
“Now I am at peace. In fact, I do not even have the right words to describe how I feel inside. I am beyond being overjoyed by this gesture from Sinombuso Funeral Services.”
Despite her advanced age, Ntshewula never misses church and her mind is still as sharp as ever.
Her sense of hearing is also still excellent although she admits her eyes are now starting to fail her.
She gave birth to five children but only two are still alive. She also boasts about her 15 grandchildren.
Ntshewula survived being abducted and almost killed by someone who accused her of witchcraft some years ago.
According to her son, Mlamleli, who will officially start receiving an old age pension from February 2026, the person who had “hunted and threatened” his mother was actually among those who had come to celebrate her getting a new house.
He said it was the first time he had seen his mother in such a happy mood in a long time.
“She has struggled a lot. Life has been very tough for her. When the people came to give her the house, I must admit it was my first time seeing her that happy.
“She ululated and she was dancing and at some point I think emotions even got the better of her and tears started streaming down her face.
“I am happy because I could not build her a beautiful house as I do not have a job that gives me enough money,” her son said.
Sinombuso Funeral Services general manager Lindelani Maduna said it all started when the company decided to buy things such as cakes and blankets and spend time with some of their elderly clients.
Not only did Ntshewula tell them about her life of struggle and surviving the abduction, but the company also discovered she was sleeping in a rondavel which she shared with her chickens. The humble home appeared to have leaks when it rained and that is when Sinombuso decided to step in and change her life.
“Usually we put aside a budget every year to assist our people. Some come to us asking for help paying for their children’s schooling needs,” Maduna said.
“When we visited her, we found the situation was not right.
“She is a very talkative person. She told us how she grew up, losing her father. People would try to help by giving her seedlings and groceries.
“She is now 100 years old and deserves some bit of goodness and comfort in her life.”
Maduna said the company also relied on its clientele, people like Ntshewula, who despite their struggles kept on contributing to Sinombuso’s growth.
“Our clients are our bosses. Without them we are nothing, hence we always try to plant back something to the communities we serve.
“She [Ntshewula] has been through a lot. Even now I am smiling as I think of the excitement on her face when the house was officially handed over to her on Wednesday.”
To make her life even more comfortable, the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Local Municipality donated two beds and groceries to Ntshewula.
Mayor Daniswa Mafumbatha described the gesture by the funeral undertaker as a true definition of ubuntu.
Mafumbatha also called upon other businesspeople to join hands and work with the government in building communities that cared about each other and changed the lives of those less privileged.
