Poignant moments as climbers honour Gugu

EPIC CHALLENGE: Editor of African Independent Jovial Rantao prepares to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

EPIC CHALLENGE: Editor of African Independent Jovial Rantao prepares to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Published Jul 20, 2016

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Friends from South Africa and Tanzania sang for Gugu Zulu on Tuesday morning.

Just as the sun's rays strengthened over Mt Kilimanjaro, the men and women who shared what turned out to be his last days sang and prayed for Zulu, who passed away after a short illness.

There was no dry eye on the mountain when the guides and porters sang for Zulu. They sang the signature Kilimanjaro anthem for him.

Then they sang Jambo, a popular tune, in an emotional final farewell to the champion racing driver.

This is the song they sang for Zulu and the 42 other climbers who were on Kilimanjaro to summit Africa’s highest peak to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s birthday and raise funds to buy sanitary towels for poor girls.

Zulu’s fellow climbers – men and women from South Africa – joined hands and prayed for Zulu, his wife, child and family. They sang for him too. Shosholoza echoed through the mountains as the Trek4Mandela climbers paid a choral tribute to Zulu.

And in an amazing show of unity, the South Africans and the Tanzanians sang their national anthems. A South African climber then handed over the country's flag in a show of friendship and solidarity.

The South African team then started the 32km hike down the mountain, going past the same places they had travelled with Gugu and his wife Letshego.

As they walked down Kilimanjaro, the climbers spoke about their memories of Gugu.

Their cellphones and cameras have hundreds of video and still photographs that captured Gugu’s last moments – his hike up the mountain and his true and deep love for Letshego.

At the Kilimanjaro Hotel, the tributes continued as some climbers were reunited with and supported Letshego, who is waiting to bring the remains of her husband home.

The Trek4Mandela team return to South Africa on Wednesday.

The Star

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