Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
Born on 27 September 1906 in the modest railway town of Touws River, Margaret Maritz lived through two world wars, the rise and fall of apartheid, and the birth of democratic South Africa. She passed away peacefully on 1 August 2025, aged 118, leaving behind a legacy that transcends numbers and enters the realm of national memory.
Her life was not marked by fame or fortune, but by quiet resilience, deep faith, and an unwavering sense of dignity. Known affectionately as “Grandma Hundred,” Margaret became a symbol of endurance and grace in a country still healing from its past. “She never spoke much about politics,” said her granddaughter, Elmarie Maritz, in a recorded interview from 2023. “But she always said, ‘Respect is earned in silence, not in shouting.’ That was her way.”
Margaret’s daily routine remained unchanged for decades. She rose with the sun, read her Bible, tended to her garden, and drank rooibos tea with a slice of homemade bread. Her diet was simple – vegetables, fruit, and very little meat. She never smoked, never drank alcohol, and never allowed bitterness to take root. “She taught me that forgiveness is not weakness,” said Pastor Hendrik van Rooyen, who visited her weekly. “She forgave people who never asked for it. That’s strength.”
Her home, a modest brick house with a corrugated iron roof, became a pilgrimage site for journalists, historians, and curious neighbors. Yet Margaret never sought attention. She declined television interviews and refused to be photographed without her Sunday dress and headscarf. “She said, ‘If they want to see me, let them see me as I am on the Lord’s Day,’” recalled Noluthando Maseko, a local nurse who cared for her in her final years. Margaret’s life spanned eras: from ox wagons to electric cars, from telegrams to smartphones. Yet she remained rooted in the soil of her upbringing – humble, faithful, and fiercely private.
Her funeral was attended by over 300 people, including schoolchildren who had written essays about her life. The mayor of Touws River declared 1 August a day of remembrance, and a mural now stands near the railway station, painted with the words: “118 Years of Grace.” Margaret Maritz did not seek to be remembered. But South Africa remembers her – not just for her age, but for her quiet flame that burned through a century of change.
