Durban - One of Gugu Zulu’s fellow #Trek4Mandela climbers wants to know why it took so long to get help for the South African rally driver who died after attempting to scale Kilimanjaro.
Jovial Rantao, one of the original party of more than 40 climbers tackling the mountain at the weekend, said he was haunted by the image of Zulu’s desperate wife, Letshego, running next to the bicycle stretcher carrying her husband, on a pitch dark gravel road.
A member of the expedition, she was by his side until the end.
“The one thing that irritates the hell out of me is how a beautiful young man, a supremely talented athlete, died because of poor health institution,” he said via WhatsApp on Monday night.
Rantao, the editor of the Daily News’s sister paper, the African Independent, was also critical of the Tanzanian authorities, questioning their apparent lack of emergency facilities.
The South Africans were climbing Kilimajaro to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s birthday and to raise funds to buy sanitary towels for poor girls.
They were led by experienced mountaineer, Sibusiso Vilane, who has climbed Mount Everest.
According to Nelson Mandela Foundation director of communications, Neeran Naidoo, Zulu, 38, had complained of flu-like symptoms and had difficulty breathing at about 5pm on Sunday, when the group reached the base camp.
He said team doctors had assessed him, put him on a drip and decided to descend.
They left the base at about 9.30pm and travelled 28km, reaching the entrance of the Kilimajaro National Park at about 4.30am.
Naidoo said Zulu died on his way to the hospital at about 5am.
Rantao said six men pushed the stretcher for close to four hours before Zulu could get help.
“The question is why does such an international organisation have zero medical facilities? No emergency evacuation plan. A venue that hosts thousands of international and local mountaineers who go to Tanzania to climb Mt Kilimanjaro should do way better.”
Rantao said Gugu had been unwell during the climb and had received medical attention, but his condition deteriorated on Sunday evening.
Kibo base is the last camp where climbers rest before summiting the 5 892m peak.
“Forty climbers – minus the Zulus – went up Kilimanjaro at midnight on Sunday. They came down on Monday (Mandela Day) to the devastating news of the passing of Gugu.”
He said climbers who spoke about their last moments with Zulu, remember the love that he and Letshego – the “Adventure Couple” – had for each other and the “many selfies – his record of their love – that Gugu took”.
In a statement, chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Sello Hatang, said: “I am devastated. I knew him well. I recruited him to climb Kilimanjaro. The last thing he said to me at the airport before he left last week was that he wanted to speak about doing other Mandela Day projects. I feel a huge sense of loss.”
Elenore Baiocchi of the South African National Rally Championship said: “It’s like we have lost a member of the family… He was a magical guy.”
Zulu, who drove for Volkswage had been with the team for more than 10 years.
Volkswagen group South Africa managing director, Thomas Schaefer, said: “We are deeply saddened to have lost Gugu who in so many ways embodied the new South Africa, a man with compassion, drive and a desire to be the best at everything that he did.”
Minister of Sports and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, said: “I knew him as a friend who was warm and kind… Gugu was young and still had a lot to offer our country. South Africa is poorer without him.”