Oldest golfer Basaliza shares the secret to longevity

It is said that some of the keys to longevity include eating well (more fruits and vegetables), getting enough sleep, not smoking, not drinking too much, managing your chronic conditions, cultivating a positive mindset, and keeping your body active, among other attributes.

But one of the oldest golfers in the world, Emmanuel Basaliza, who hails from Tooro Club, advises that, in addition to discipline, honesty, and maintaining your health through sports, you should also practice humility.

Apart from his old age, he has no ailment and eats all types of local foods without any complaints. He can still read very well without glasses, despite owning reading glasses, which he uses only when his eyes are ‘strained a bit.’

On December 24, Basaliza celebrated his 100th birthday and said that, in addition to being an active golfer to date, these are some of the attributes that have helped him live long, with God's help.

“Apart from playing golf, I’m also a hard worker. I work on my coffee shamba. I also have a cattle farm, which I visit daily. I have fruit trees, avocados, mangos, etc. and I tend to them regularly.

“I’m a farmer, and I keep busy on my land. I even have a small golf course and green in front of my house where I practice chipping and putting. Discipline has helped me stay healthy. I eat and drink well, and I’m honest,” Basaliza said in a 2019 interview.

A typical day for Basaliza

“I wake up at 5am, but I don’t get out of bed until 7am because the mornings are always very cold. After breakfast around 8am, I walk around my home and farm to supervise my workers. Sometimes I go to town to chat with friends. I have lunch at about 1pm. After lunch, I rest for a while, but I don’t sleep during the day. Sometimes I practice chipping and putting on my mini golf course. I eat supper at 10pm. After that, I read newspapers. I buy both dailies, New Vision and Monitor, every day, which costs me sh120,000 per month. I also listen to the radio and watch TV. I never miss reading the New Vision newspaper.

“Anyone who wants to be like me must be disciplined. Discipline should be part of everything you do. Eating, resting, going to bed, and all your activities should follow certain rules. To me, discipline is a law.

"Eat good food. Don’t just eat or drink anything," Basaliza advises.

Basaliza, a widower, lives with one of his sons, the last born, who helps him out with some house chores.

Family members speak

Colonel Stephen Basaliza, one of his sons, says his father was born in Bukwali to a chief who owned cattle and goats. As a boy, Mzee Basaliza looked after these animals.

“He developed a keen interest in golf by seeing the whites play as he grazed the animals near the golf course. And sometimes he would escape, leaving goats with the sisters and others to caddie for the whites.”

“So, he started playing in the 60s when the whites were about to leave; he was a veterinary officer then. And when the whites and Indians were expelled by President Idi Amin, the game turned to Africans, and he was among the first Africans to play golf in Toro here and in the country,” Basaliza said.

Since then, Basaliza’s love for golf has never faded. The game took him to courses all over the country and even to places like Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa.

“We decided to honour his 100th birthday with a centennial tournament to continue with what he started in 1975 when he sponsored the Basaliza Open when he clocked 50 years.

“But all in all, his heart is golf. One time, he even joked that if you are not a golfer, you cannot lift my body.  I don't know whether it is in his will, but he has said that if I die, it is only golfers who will lift me and even give me honours, like the military gives their colleagues.

“He has aroused interest in all golfers of Toro. That is why you see Toro is producing the most professional golfers, and the best golfers are from Toro. He used to put in his own money to maintain the green, and he has been a captain of the golf club here and a member of the golf union. He is now recognised as a life member. So, as we celebrate, we are now celebrating the life of a centenarian who is a life member,” Basaliza stated.

“He begins his day with a cup of black coffee, though he has animals and milk, and later some local porridge, little Irish potatoes, and matooke in small quantities, and he eats all the local food to date.

Later, he drives to his estate, where he owns a commercial building. In the evening or early morning, he enjoys some leisure activities. Fortunately, he has no non-communicable diseases; his only challenge is old age. He goes for regular medical check-ups every month or two.

“You see, at his age, at 100, the man is smart, well tucked in white shoes. He's a disciplinarian.  Discipline on diet, discipline on drinking, and above all, discipline on his family. That's the way the family was brought up. And God has heard his prayers.  He didn't want to leave this world, assuming anything happened, without anybody in the family playing. I’m now an active golfer, and a number of his grandchildren are engaged in the sport. Personally, I promise that golf will stay in the Basaliza family.”

Mzee Basaliza is a devoted Christian, raised in a Christian family and still living with one. He keeps up with current affairs by reading newspapers. He looks through them in the morning and later reads them thoroughly at night, page by page.