'Uanty
Onezinwele Ezimhlophe' or the Aunty with White Hair
by Meryl Grebe
Ask for Barbara Scheepers when you
enter our village, and you will be greeted with blank stares. Ask for
'Tannie Babs' and a thousand fingers will immediately point you to her
house. 'Tannie' is the Afrikaans word meaning 'Aunty' and on meeting
this petite little woman with her soft white curls it is easy to see
why she is so loved and revered in our verdant slice of the Zululand
mountains.
Barbara Olive Pretorius was born
on the 18th September 1928 in a small rural township in Kwazulu Natal
called Mahlabatini. Her dad had a general dealership in Nongoma, Zululand.
Once, after swerving to miss a stray
cow, the vehicle with Babs' father at the wheel, mother at his side
and some of the children in the back seat, slid off the side of a steep
ravine. Dad called on his family of women to help pull it back onto
the road, and using rope and every ounce of strength the feminine posse
and their father could muster, they soon did! There was no place for
sissy-girls in the Pretorius clan.She married Soon Scheepers in April
1948, (known here as 'Oom Soon' - 'Oom' being the Afrikaans word for
'uncle') and the couple had three children. Tannie Babs is a noted cook
up here on our mountain. Her pickles, jams and preserves are jealously
hoarded by those villagers lucky enough to receive them, although she
is always willing to hand over another bottle to those who ask.
Interesting to note that Tannie
Babs' father gave her a knife that he had received from Zulu King Cyprian
Bhekezulu, a wonderful etching of the kings face on the blade. When
her own father died, Tannie Babs felt it important to hand the knife
to the Zulu royal family, and not too long ago, she was invited to the
royal palace in Ulundi by reigning King Goodwill Zwelhitini, when she
returned his father's dagger to him. Enjoy the photograph of Tannie
Babs and Zulu King Goodwill Zwelhitini in the palace, and note the magnificent
white lion to the King's left - a hunting trophy naturally! Tannie Babs
has kindly given us her recipe for 'Vetkoek' - pronounced 'Fet Cook'
and meaning just that. Cake fried in fat. It is traditional Afrikaans
fare, served with a savoury or sweet filling. In winter, there are few
things more comforting than a hot vetkoek filled with apricot jam and
a steaming mug of freshly percolated coffee!
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