114-Year-Old Man Shares The Simple Habits He Credits For His Long Life
For most people, reaching 100 years is a remarkable milestone, but Chazimbwa Kachikunje has gone far beyond that. The 114-year-old Mt Darwin resident continues to defy expectations. He walks unaided, takes cold baths every day and remains remarkably healthy for someone of his age.
The Mt Darwin resident, believed to be Zimbabwe’s oldest pensioner, says there is no special formula behind his extraordinary longevity. Instead, he credits his long life to God’s grace.
A former National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) employee, Kachikunje retired nearly four decades ago but continues to receive a pension from the National Railways of Zimbabwe Contributory Pension Fund.
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Still Active At 114
Born in Mozambique on 1 January 1912, Kachikunje continues to surprise those around him with his physical condition.
According to The SundayMail, Kachikunje does not use a walking stick, moves around without assistance and still has sharp eyesight. According to his family, he has not been diagnosed with conditions such as dementia or prostate cancer that commonly affect elderly people.
His wife, who is 64, says he starts each day with a cold bath, regardless of the season. She added that he sometimes walks alone to a nearby river to bathe.
Despite being asked countless times about the secret to his long life, Kachikunje insists there is nothing unusual about his lifestyle or diet.
From Farm Labourer To Railway Driver
Before settling in Zimbabwe, Kachikunje left Mozambique in search of work and earned a living as a farm labourer, taking on physically demanding jobs.
In 1951, he joined the National Railways of Zimbabwe as a loader, where he manually loaded heavy cargo, including maize, coal, tobacco bales and rolls of barbed wire onto railway wagons.
Years later, obtaining a driver’s licence changed the course of his career.
He was promoted to driving company vehicles, transporting railway officials to destinations across the country, including Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo and Machipanda. He remained with NRZ until retiring in 1986 after 30 years of service.
A Life Surrounded By Family
Kachikunje is a father of seven children, although one has since died. He is also grandfather and great-grandfather to more than 40 descendants.
He now lives with his wife, children and grandchildren in Village 10 under Chief Nembire in Mt Darwin, where he enjoys a quiet rural life.
Pension Still Helps Meet Daily Needs
Although he says the value of his pension has diminished over the years, Kachikunje remains grateful for the monthly payments, which help cover basic household expenses such as groceries and milling costs.
After nearly 40 years in retirement, the former railway worker says he appreciates the stability the pension continues to provide.
His remarkable health, active lifestyle and resilience have made him one of Zimbabwe’s most extraordinary centenarians, with his story serving as a rare example of longevity built on decades of hard work, simplicity and faith.
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