Motswari’s amazing mamas

Posted on 16 March 2012

In a previous post I made mention of a book written by former Motswari Safari Lodge manager, Kathy Bergs, containing the life stories of Motswari’s female employees. I was a little flip about the absence of stories about Motswari’s men but the focus on women is well justified by the fact that, in many lodges, a sense of elitism develops amongst the field staff, that is to say the trackers and the guides (I have abandoned the term ‘game ranger’, as many lodges are now doing, because it is necessary to distinguish the man/woman who drives tourists around the private reserves in a Land Rover all day, and entertains them by night, and the man/woman who manages game animals or wildlife, and is very seldom called upon to mediate between American and Canadian tourists discussing the relative merits of their national health care programs).

Trackers and guides overwhelmingly tend to be male although Andrea, a singularly cheerful twenty-something from Cape Town, breaks up the boys’ club at Motswari (Dave appointed her after several lodges had turned down her qualifications, the fault of a persistent culture of machismo in the bush, in his opinion).

Male staff, because they spend all day and much of the night with guests, get paid more and tipped more. The way of betterment is a more promising one, moreover—starting in the lowest paid role of maintenance, lodge men can and do rise to become guides and senior managers. The women can graduate from housekeeping to housekeeping supervisor, junior chef to senior chef, and that’s about it.

Finding ways to improve this situation is, or should be, at the heart of what it means to be FTTSA accredited. Survivors of abusive marriages, bread-winners for (collectively) hundreds of men, women and children, the 20 or so women of Motswari deserve recognition, and assistance. Motswari has excellent initiatives in place in this regard, thanks to Bergs, the owners—the Geiger family—and Bergs’ successors, Dave and Thea. Scullery maids have ended up certified as professional chefs, house-keepers have been given the leeway to run successful sideline businesses, and all of those who never received the benefit of an education are encouraged to take ABET (Adult Basic Education and Training) course at night.

But anyone interested in Motswari’s ethos would do better to read this chapter from Bergs’ book, entitled Matimu—The Women of Motswari, reproduced with the kind permission of Bergs and the chapter’s subject, head chef Grace Mnisi:

Grace Mnisi
1975

Amazing Grace … such an appropriate nickname for a woman that is amazing in oh so many ways! Her sweet, shy nature masks an intense inner strength and drive. Her culinary skills impress the most discerning of European palates, although Gracie only recently visited her first city. Her status amongst her peers is quite a far cry from her humble beginnings… As the first child of Adam Mnisi and Elida Dibakwane, Grace shouldered responsibility from a very early age. Adam and Elida made their home at Cottondale, at the extended Mnisi family homestead. Adam worked intermittently as a builder, effecting repairs and alterations to homes in the Acornhoek area, with long stretches between jobs and clients who, at times, struggled to pay him. Adam’s own father had abandoned the family and Adam had been raised by his mother, Rostania Masinga. He was determined not to make the same mistake his father had and tried desperately to provide for his growing family. Elida begged for old clothes which she would unstitch and cut into school uniforms for her children to wear.

By 1984, and with, by then, 5 young mouths to feed, Adam managed to find work as a builder at Motswari Private Game Reserve. The following year, Elida was able to join him, having found work as a scullery maid at the lodge. Elida kept her 2 babies, Daniel and Gift, with her for a time, but it fell to Grace to care for the older 2. Although Grace and her siblings, Luket and Thandy, lived with their grandmother (who supplemented their income as a traditional healer), it was Grace’s job to see to it that dinner was prepared in the evening. This was not an easy feat, as it meant collecting firewood (or cow dung, if no firewood was to be had), hauling water (which was extremely difficult for a child to pump) and then cooking their evening meal of maize meal porridge, which would be supplemented by morogo (wild spinach) in the summer months – and all of this after Grace had spent a full day at school. As this was often their only meal of the day, Grace was determined that her younger brother and sister would not go to bed hungry. Grace remembers being allowed into the game reserve to collect mopane worms when the harvest was good, which proved an important protein source, as meat was a rare treat. Tea, bread and jam only featured on the menu at Christmas.

Once Adam’s building contract with Motswari was finished, he went to work on a neighbouring property, Wisani, building a home for its new owner, Andy Patterson. Elida went home to give birth to their 6th child, another girl she named Thuli, in 1989, and returned with Thuli on her back to work alongside Adam at Wisani. Grace’s responsibilities had, by then, grown to include Daniel and Gift as well. This routine was to continue for another few years – until the unbelievable happened in 1991. Grace, at the tender age of 16, faced a dilemma. Busy with Grade 10 studies and caring for her 4 younger siblings left her with little time for herself – but enough for a careless mistake which left Grace pregnant. Grace could not bear to tell her family of her predicament, as she knew how greatly they relied on her, so she kept her news to herself. Incredibly, as the pregnancy progressed, her stomach did not swell, so that no one in the family became aware of her situation.

Finally, one night in her 9th month, labour pains began. Elida, who was home on leave, noticed Grace getting up in the night several times to rush outside to their communal long drop toilet and asked her what was wrong. Grace, still afraid to tell her mother the truth, admitted to a ‘stomach ache’. In desperation, Grace rushed through to the home of her best friend, who lived nearby. Even then, she could only bring herself to complain to her friend of a ‘stomach ache’. Her friend woke her mother, who eventually convinced Grace to confide in her. The friend rushed to inform Elida and, together, they brought Grace through to Tintswalo Hospital in Acornhoek, where her son, Advice, was born the next morning. Grace chose his name as she turned to God for advice on what to do next.

His answer was to carry on – which she did! Unbelievably, she returned to school 1 week later to write her exams. Two months later, Elida gave birth to her 7th child in the bush at Wisani (and on her own, in stalwart Shangaan fashion!), aptly naming this special daughter Nature. She gave up her job at Wisani at the end of 1993, returning to Cottondale to raise Nature and Advice, who grew up as sister and brother, rather than as aunt and nephew (or Mama Ntsongo – ‘Small Mother’ – and son, as they would’ve been known in Shangaan culture). To this day, no one knows the name of Advice’s father and Grace is still not telling!

In 1994 Grace completed high school, earning a matriculation certificate, but with no job prospects on the horizon. A very special person in Grace’s life is her great uncle, Prince Mnisi, who had been a chef in Motswari’s kitchen for as long as most people could remember. He persuaded Motswari management to find a space in the kitchen for her and Gracie joined the team as a scullery maid in late 1996. The following month Vusi Lekhuleni began work at Motswari as a porter, presenting Grace with a beautiful card that Valentine’s Day, professing his love for her. Unaware that he had a wife and 2 children at home, Grace reciprocated his feelings, falling deeply and truly in love. In 2000, Grace fell pregnant but the baby died in childbirth, apparently as a result of a breech birth that caused fetal distress.

In August 2002, Grace gave birth to Vusi’s son, Baby Steve ‘Lovemore’ Lekhuleni. Proud father, Vusi, no longer hid the fact that he had two ‘wives’ and even attempted to dress them alike when his wife would come to Motswari to visit. Not surprisingly, the situation was not as acceptable to the women as it was to him and tension developed between them. Sensing this tension over Christmas 2004, Vusi became enraged and beat Grace into what he thought would be submission. Needless to say, Vusi lost his job but escaped lightly as Grace decided not to press charges. Although it took time for the emotional scars to heal, Grace is now proudly single and says that Mr. Geiger (the patriarch of the Geiger family – the owners of Motswari) is her ‘husband’, as he sees to it that money is paid into her bank account each month! She no longer wants nor needs a man ‘to control her’.

Over time, Grace has moved through the ranks, advancing steadily from scullery maid, to pastry chef, to sous chef, eventually being appointed as our Head Chef in January 2004. She participated in Bush Banquet competitions in 2002, 2004 and 2005, placing amongst the top lodges for Best Food. She attended workshops at Selati Hotel School and earned a certificate as a Professional Chef through INTEC College in July 2007.

She has been featured in magazines, newspapers and cookbooks, such as Bushveld Banquets – a Feast of Lowveld Flavours, and visited her first city when she was flown to Cape Town in February 2008 to cater a cocktail function for an international tour.

The sky is the limit as far as Grace is concerned – she wants to become computer literate, get a driver’s licence and buy herself a van (to be able to transport water, which the family continues to buy @ R2/25 litres). This tremendous change in her family’s fortune, who started out in a simple mud hut, is overwhelming evidence to Grace that ‘God is SO good!’

 

To read more about FTTSA and see a list of all certified businesses go to www.fairtourismsa.org.za or join FTTSA on Facebook. 

To receive a quote or book a vehicle with Avis go to www.avis.co.za






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