Eating healthy food, hard work and abstaining from alcohol are some of the secrets of a long life for Shandukani Amos Manenzhe (94) of Gumela Village, near Nwanedi Resort, in the Mutale area. Despite his advanced age, Manenzhe still walks like an 18-year-old, works in his field and participates in community projects.

"I am confident that I will reach 100, because of my clean style of life. I have never tasted alcohol in my life, because I know its consequences. I don’t eat too much fatty food and I make sure that I spend much of my time working. I also do not smoke and I pray everyday," said the elder, who encouraged the young generation to take his life as example. The much respected elder has 10 children from three wives. He could not exactly remember how many grandchildren he has. Manenzhe was born in 1913 at Ha-Manenzhe Muhomeni. He came to settle at Gumela in 1929.

Amazingly, the intelligent senior citizen never went to school but he can read and write. "I taught myself to read and write although I did not get a chance of going to school." To display his natural intelligence, Manenzhe established himself as a respected businessman of his time when he established a general dealer business at Ha-Masia in 1959 – a very unusual achievement then. "I knew I could succeed, even though I did not go to school. I the sold the business after I could not manage the ups and downs because of my advanced age."

The local community will always remember him for his generosity after he sent countless indigent community members to school, using money from his own pocket. Some of them occupy high positions in government departments and the private sector. Unlike most of the senior citizens who suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases, Manezhe said he is very healthy. "I still eat salt and sugar and that does not give me problems. Although at times I enjoy indigenous food, I like Coke more than anything else."