Dikeledi Radebe gears up to climb Kilimanjaro in honour of Mandela's 107th birthday
Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
Dikeledi Radebe is part of a group of mountain climbers and hikers planning to summit Africa's highest mountain to celebrate late former president Nelson Mandela's 107th birthday and for a good cause later this month.
The sister of South African football legend and retired Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe is excited to be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in this year's Trek4Mandela on behalf of the ET (Emily Tlaleng) Radebe Foundation, which was established in honour of their late mother.
This year's Trek4Mandela team at their end-off hosted by Imbumba Foundation in partnership with Big Save Group in Waterkloof, Tshwane.
Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
As the ET Radebe Foundation supports mostly sports, it decided to be involved in more initiatives.
'I got in touch with someone from Trek4Mandela and decided it is a great opportunity for us to collaborate with them and support this great initiative for young girls,' Radebe explained.
She said the ET Radebe Foundation also works with school children.
'So this was a great opportunity for us to collaborate with them,' she added.
She is a climber and has climbed several mountains, but it will be different because Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is at a high altitude, and she has yet to attempt.
'I have spent five days climbing the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. I have also done the toughest trail in South Africa, which is Amathole in the Eastern Cape, so I am an experienced hiker, just not an experienced high-altitude climber,' Radebe said.
She said she is looking forward journey as the preparations have been good with great support from the organisers, Imbumba Foundation, which she also stated she trains the group very well.
The foundation was founded by social entrepreneur Richard Mabaso in 2010 and is behind the Trek4Mandela annual expeditions to honour the global icon's birthday on July 18, as well as another to celebrate Women's Day on August 9.
It supports the Caring4Girls programme, which Mabaso established in 2012, to provide access to sanitary pads and the corresponding reproductive health education.
Radebe said she was also grateful to the foundation for the awesome work it did to train the group for the whole year.
'It was a good journey, it was tough, but we all made it up until today. We are looking forward to the trip next week and to summiting and coming back and speaking about our beautiful journey and stories. Good luck to all the 2025 climbers.'
Dikeledi continued: 'I am a bit anxious, but it's good for me because it's building my strength and I tell myself that we will do this. We will summit and we will come back and tell our stories. I'm looking forward to it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Springbok Women's backline changes ignited attack against Canada
Nadine Roos' move to scrumhalf from fullback helped spark the Springbok Women's attack in the second stanza against Canada on Saturday. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix The Springbok Women's backline reshuffle in the second half of Saturday's defeat to Canada sparked the attack into life and may offer coach Swys de Bruin a blueprint for the second match this coming weekend. The Bok Women were beaten 50-20 in a physical encounter against the world's second-ranked team at Loftus on Saturday afternoon. Their backs struggled to cope with the smothering defence during an opening stanza where the only South African points came via a penalty landed by wing Jakkie Cilliers. However, a raft of backline changes in the second half injected more flair and fluency into the Bok attack, as they broke the Canadian shackles and finally started asking questions of the visiting defence. Livewire Nadine Roos was moved from fullback to scrumhalf, Eloise Webb came in at flyhalf, Libbie Janse van Rensburg slotted in at inside centre, and Byrhandrè Dolf was introduced at fullback. The changes reaped dividends for De Bruin's charges. 'I am happy to play wherever the coach wants me to play and it went well when I moved from fullback to scrumhalf in the second half. I just want to be around the ball and where the action is and is happy that I got that chance today,' Roos said, after the match. Cilliers was the first to profit from the newfound backline freedom, scoring the Boks' first try as they began to move the ball through the hands with greater conviction. It was then Dolf's turn to showcase her pace and attacking prowess as she burst down the wing to score. The diminutive utility back will have been delighted to cross the whitewash in a moment that could go some way to erasing memories of a difficult debut in the 66-7 loss to the North Americans in 2023. Solontsi rounded off the scoring for the Boks from a rolling maul. Bok captain Nolusindiso Booi said the pressure of playing against a top-ranked team such as Canada was massive and that created some unforced errors. 'We prepared well, but today we did not always apply ourselves well and that is disappointing,' said Booi. 'However, we saw that across the squad, the players got better and better as the game went on. We will go back, work hard and give it another go next weekend.' De Bruin was especially critical of the high number of penalties the Bok Women conceded at the breakdown, especially with the World Cup fast approaching. He will be encouraged, however, by the impact of his backline rejig and the performance of the substitutes. He could look to unleash some of the new combinations earlier in next Saturday's second Test at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
The Citizen
2 hours ago
- The Citizen
Gomora edges Midlands to secure promotion to Motsepe Foundation Championship
Gomora United FC took on Midlands Wanderers in a tense ABC Motsepe League national playoff semi-final at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, on July 5. Gomora United, representing Gauteng, defeated Midlands, representing KwaZulu-Natal, 1–0, sealing their promotion to the second tier of South African football. Read more: ARMSTA shows support for Gomora United FC On Saturday evening, the stakes were high, with both teams gunning for promotion. The first half ended in a stalemate, with neither team able to break the deadlock despite promising chances. Gomora United nearly took the lead, just under eight minutes after a handball by Midlands' player Philani Khumalo inside the box resulted in a penalty. Captain Thapelo Maleka stepped up to convert, hoping to give Gomora an early lead, but Midlands' goalkeeper, Ngobani Langa, blocked the spot kick, stretching far enough to tip the ball off to the left post. Gomora maintained momentum, while Midlands pressed forward with their own attacking threats. Early in the second half, Midlands conceded another penalty when Siduduzo Dlamini fouled Siyabonga Mashinini inside the box. This gave Maleka the opportunity to redeem himself, after missing the first penalty. Langa was left standing still after Maleka's powerful spot kick to the left, giving Gomora the lead at just under 67 minutes. Midlands searched desperately for an equaliser, but could not find the breakthrough, despite their repeated attempts to score. Although they lost against Gomora, Midlands' hope for promotion to the Motsepe Foundation Championship are not entirely shattered. They will have another shot at promotion through the third/fourth place playoff. This is because an additional team from the ABC Motsepe League has to be promoted to fill the void left by Royal AM's exit from the professional ranks. Gomora United's win against Midlands, and The Bees victory against Thames FC, guarantees their promotion. The two semi-final victors will go head-to-head in the finals on July 6. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
Breaking: Mamelodi Sundowns release two long-serving players
Mamelodi Sundowns have parted ways with two of their most experienced players. The Brazilians announced on Sunday morning that they have parted ways with Lebohang Maboe and Rivaldo Coetzee. Both players won more than 10 trophies during their time at Chloorkop. Maboe spent seven seasons with Masandawana and worked under Pitso Mosimane, Rulani Mokwena, Manqoba Mngqithi and Miguel Cardoso. The 30-year-old forward managed to score 20 goals in 183 appearances across all competitions. 'After 7 memorable years, 12 trophies, 183 appearances and that unforgettable league-winning hattrick – the Yellow Nation bids farewell to Lebohang Maboe. Masandawana wishes you nothing but success as you enter your next chapter,' Mamelodi Sundowns said in a statement. Another player that was released is Bafana Bafana defender Rivaldo Coetzee after eight years with the club. 'The Yellow Nation thanks Rivaldo Coetzee for eight years as a Sandawana. After winning 14 trophies in his time with the Club and making over 130 appearances, the Mamelodi Sundowns family wishes you all the best in your next chapter.' The Brazilians have already parted ways with Sipho Mbule, who has since joined rivals Orlando Pirates on a free transfer. Having recently returned from the FIFA Club World Cup, Sundowns are in no hurry to sign players. Their pre-season is set to start in three weeks. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
