A 62-year-old athlete from Mashashane village in Limpopo has started a 700 kilometre walk as part of Nelson Mandela month. Malesela Mokonyama’s long walk from Polokwane to Musina and back to Polokwane will last 14 days.
Mokonyama, who is a huge fan of PSL club Kaizer Chiefs and is famously known as King, is also a proud athlete, who does not let age deter him.
He started with the long walk, known as the Centenary Walk for Tata. He will make stops at Mokopane, before walking further to other areas between Alldays and Musina. He wants to hit three birds with one stone as his walk is part of Mandela Month celebrations, awareness against social ills such as gender-based violence (GBV) and also to raise funds to build a sports complex in his home village of Mashashane.
” I’m going to do 756 kilometers and it will take me 14 days. I’m raising awareness for gender-based violence, child abuse, xenophobia as well as other illnesses that affect children. The walk will start from Polokwane Smelter’s mine R37 road until Alldays Venetia Mine, thereafter to Musina. This long walk will also form as part of fundraising for a sports complex in my area,” says Mokonyama.
The athlete will finalise his walk on the late President’s birthday, which will be on the 18th of July in Polokwane. He will spend the day doing activities such as caring for the elderly and those with disabilities.
” I will be back on the 18th of July from there we are going to visit the place of disabilities for Mandela Day and spend 67 minutes there,” he adds.
Having won the Golden Games in Limpopo, Mokonyama wants to encourage others to join him. He is hopeful that donors will come on board and raise about R12 million to build a sports complex for the benefit of the community of Mashashane.
Nelson Mandela statues
President Cyril Ramaphosa is also expected to unveil two Nelson Mandela statues in Mthatha, in honour of Mandela Month in July.
The Nelson Mandela Museum has outlined a series of events that are set to take place as Mandela Day draws closer. These events include an International Nelson Mandela lecture and the 67 minutes goodwill activities.
VIDEO: President Ramaphosa to unveil two Nelson Mandela statues:
