Wennen X, an Afrikaner, lived with his wife in Vryburg, where he was a senior supervisor of buildings. In time, Ruth Mompati and Wennen agreed that he would become her driver. Wennen’s family became close to Ruth, to the extent that they became leloko la maitirelo.
Both of Wennen’s parents had died, and Ruth reminded him of them. He addressed her as “Mama Ruta”.
Because Wennen had a farm in Ganyesa, Ruth’s birthplace, she frequently requested him to drive her there from Vryburg to attend events. Ruth had somehow found out that Wennen was a careful driver and also that he could drive well on gravel roads. She had also come to know that Wennen had always wanted to be a traffic cop.
“One day she said to me, ‘Listen here Wennen, there is a funeral in [Ganyesa] … number one you are a traffic cop, number two you know how to drive on gravel roads … .’”
When Wennen said, “You know Mama, I wanted to be a traffic officer. But it’s from long time ago. I was still young,” Ruth replied: “Don’t worry, my son. Don’t worry. You will be a traffic officer.”
From then on, Wennen was with Mama, taking her to different events such as MmaSisulu’s birthday at the Botanical Gardens in Johannesburg. While they were still at the birthday celebrations, they had to leave because Ruth’s sister had fallen ill.
“Oh, my son, we must go now. My sister is very sick in Vryburg.”
“Mama, did they phone?”
“No, but I know. She’s very sick.”
“But mama, you still remember we must stick to the law of the road?”
“Why? You’re a traffic officer mos, and I trust you. I trust you because my life is in your hands. When you drive the car, you must see that I must be safe.”
“Mama, it’s fine.”
W [Wennen]: Ja. So I’d say: “Mama, it’s fine.” Even if that weekend I was supposed to work, I would just tell my boss, “Listen here, there’s something from Mama.” No problem, no problem. And it must be Friday early because the church start mos afternoon. Right around during the night. And even then, I told mama, “Just go rest a little bit.” I’d bring a blanket around her and she’s sitting the whole night until morning.
MS [Mongane Serote] In the funeral?
W: In the funeral, in the tent. They’re singing mos the whole night. Maybe kabo four, maybe ka six, the Saturday morning the funeral starts. Then I see there this ouma [Ruth] …
MS: But if you were to talk about something you remember her a lot about, what would it be?
W: Oh. In Afrikaans julle sê: Mama was ’n mens se mens.
MS: Ja, ek hoor jou.
W: Sy het nie gekyk of jy swart is, wit is of pienk is nie. Sy [het] al die mense gesien as mense van Suid Afrika. En sy het my altyd gesê: “My kind, jy weet wat, ek hou van jou.
“You always care about the culture of other people and you want to know what is the culture of other people.” Mama taught me that I must always be ’n mens se mens. If I can help, I must go out of my way.
MS: To help?
W: Ja, to help and so on and so on. And she was really, there’s not, there’s not words to tell you what type of person, but like Mama Ruth was even more like my own mother. She even cared for me more than my own mother, although my mother was looking after me from childhood and so on and so on. But when I was growing up and start working, she was there like my mother, like my own mother. And she would invite me: “Hey, Wennen, where are you? Come to my house. Come have a cup of tea.”
MS: Yes.
W: If I come in, no problem. I [would just sit] there. And sometimes when I say, “Mama, you told me you must be left at 5 o’clock.” Then I go into the room and then she’s busy combing her hair. Then I take the comb, then I comb her hair now.
MS: Ja.
W: You see? Then she’d say, “No, no, but this hair doesn’t want to go flat here.” I’d say, “No mama, let me try.” Then we’ll comb it. I’d say, “Mama, but you have to sleep in the car now. So let me drive through and when we enter there, then you’ll comb. Take the mirror, I will help you, make you perfect, you see your hair what-what.”
MS: Did she share any experiences with you about the struggle?
W: Yes, she did. The way she was trained in Russia.
MS: Yes.
W: And for the skills, military skills and training which she received. And she also told us that she’s a sharpshooter [laughing]. And she shared such experiences with us, her training in Russia and after getting the training, she came, you know, when she came back after so many years … And she always, you know, she didn’t have a clue what was going on in Vryburg, because I think she was coming back after so many years, and her memories and everything. But one thing I admire in her is that even though all those things happened, she never hated anybody for that matter.
And she had that big heart to accept everyone as they are. And she was even prepared to serve them, and she gave herself, her whole life, to the people for the struggle, and that’s something us people, we may not do.
Mme Ruth Mompati: A Life of Courage and Service is published by Seriti Sa Sechaba Publishers.