By Nangamso Mabindla
28 November 2007

EIGHT sports heroes will be stopping off in East London on Thursday, 29 November as part of the annual Sports Heroes Walk Against Aids.

Begun in 2002, the walk has already raised R4,5-million for HIV/Aids hospices and care centres in five provinces. It is conducted in partnership with Sport and Recreation South Africa and the local government offices of sport and health, and is supported by corporate donors including Sasol, MTN, DaimlerChrysler, the South African Broadcasting Corporation and Nike.

In total, the eight sportsmen, from different sporting codes, will walk 1 722 kilometres from Ekurhuleni, in Gauteng, to Port Elizabeth, in Eastern Cape, covering about a hundred kilometres a day. They will traverse Gauteng, Free State and Eastern Cape.

Shaun Petzer, from the City's special programmes unit, said that the walkers would be in Bhisho today, where they would meet Premier Nosimo Balindlela.

"They will arrive in Bhisho from Fort Beaufort; tomorrow they will walk from King William's Town to East London, where they will meet Executive Mayor Zintle Peter."

While in the city, the eight would hold coaching clinics at the Gompo Stadium, as well as community HIV/Aids awareness sessions. On 30 November, they would leave for Grahamstown, and from there head to Port Elizabeth to complete their walk. The initiative is held to give hope to those affected by and infected with HIV/Aids.

The group is made up of three-times former world boxing champion Lihlohonolo Ledwaba; three Banyana Banyana soccer stars, Veronica Phewa, Desree Ellis and Jenine van Wyk; South African long distance champion Willie Mtolo; former Springbok and Border rugby star Khaya Malotana; world karate champion Marius Botha; and South African basketball captain Neo Mothiba.

Competing the Sport Heroes Walk Against Aids team are SABC sports presenter Cynthia Chaka and two National Association of People Living with Aids representatives, Queenith Mbangeni and Mpho Molaba.