Mothwa honours long-serving member, Anita “Zibby” Hemingway
(Article from The Witness newspaper – Londiwe Xulu)
There were laughter and heartfelt tributes at the Allan Wilson Shellhole on Saturday 7th February 2026 as members of the Mothwa honoured one of their longest-serving members, Anita “Zibby” Hemingway.
Hemingway (89) officially became a Mothwa on January 20, 1956, and this year marked an extraordinary 70 years of dedicated service to the organisation.
What she believed would be an ordinary monthly meeting turned into a moving surprise celebration organised in her honour. Family members, quietly invited behind the scenes, joined fellow Mothwa’s in celebration of Zibby’s 70 years’ service.
Hemingway was showered with gifts and a specially prepared cake as tributes poured in from those who have served alongside her for decades. Speakers described her as loyal, compassionate and unwavering in her commitment to the values of the organization. For many, she represents the heart of the Mothwa.
The Mothwa is an independent welfare organization registered as a non-profit entity. It supports the benevolent activities of the M.O.T.H. (Memorable Order of Tin Hats), assisting in providing relief to the indigent, the aged and the infirm in the Havens administered by the Mothwa.
In reflecting on her 70 years of service, Heminway shared memories that trace the evolution of the Theo Dowsett Shellhole, and the wider Mothwa movement. She recalled how Theo Dowsett was formed in 1948 and how, when she joined in 1956, Pietermaritzburg fell under Southern Natal before eventually gaining Provincial state as Natal Midlands in 1967.
Over the decades, she witnessed Provinces open and close, travelled to Conferences across Southern Africa including Windhoek and Lourenço Marques and attended 25 National Conferences.
Hemingway served in numerous leadership roles, most notably as Pay Billie for many years, though she insists she preferred being a “Worker Bee rather than the Queen Bee”.
Her tenure was marked by extensive outreach work, funding cottages, refurbishing homes, knitting for premature babies, supporting old age homes, assisting fire victims, and raising funds through countless catering events and community projects.