By Nangamso Mabindla
30 November 2007

SPORTS stars taking part in the Sports Heroes Walk Against Aids stopped in East London on Thursday, 29 November, bring traffic to a standstill.

The sportsmen were welcomed at the City Hall by the councillor, Luntu Bobo, before they headed to the Gompo Sports Grounds where they took part in an HIV and Aids awareness drive.

At the grounds, they were welcomed by Executive Mayor Zintle Peter, ward councillors and an appreciative Gompo crowd, made up of a mixture of youngsters and community elders.

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.

Welcoming the heroes to the city, Peter said that she was humbled that Buffalo City was chosen for the initiative. "You took a detour to Buffalo City even though you did not have to do that. This shows that you are committed and you want to reach all corners of Eastern Cape."

She was happy that the stop in the city coincided with the municipality's observation of World Aids Day. World Aids Day is held on 1 December.

"I support this initiative both in my personal and in my official capacity. The sports heroes have shown us that when it comes to the fight against Aids, action is needed. I want to urge everyone here to emulate what these sports personalities have done - more action in the fight against Aids."

With the rate of infections increasing annually, it was important that people committed themselves to the fight against the scourge.

"We are all affected. Children are becoming orphans, and some die young. We need to stop stigmatisation because it discourages people from disclosing their status," Peter said. The sportsmen's walk would encourage people to emulate their heroes and intensify the fight against Aids.

One of them, rugby player Khaya Malotana, said that for the Walk Against Aids to be a success, big organisations needed to take part.

"We have been backed by the Department of Sport and Recreation and corporate sponsors. That is why we have been … successful with the initiative," said Malotana, a former Border Bulldogs and Springbok centre.

The message his group was sending out was that the spread of Aids could be halted.

"We want to convince the youth that we can stop the spread of HIV and Aids. We also need people to support these initiatives. If you are already infected with HIV, you can be positive about life," he said.

The sportsmen will leave Buffalo City for Grahamstown today and are expected in Port Elizabeth in the Nelson Mandela Metro this weekend.

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 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.