Johannesburg - The fate of the annual Trek4Mandela charity initiative hangs in the balance following the death of well-known racing car driver Gugu Zulu.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation confirmed it would - after Zulu’s burial - meet with stakeholders to discuss whether it would continue with the initiative, in which celebrities, media personalities and business people raise funds for underprivileged girls by climbing Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro.
Zulu and wife Letshego were part of a group of 43 climbers who departed for Tanzania last week to honour Madiba on Mandela Day.
At the weekend, Zulu took to social media to complain about “flu-like symptoms” but seemingly remained in high spirits, determined to complete the task. He said he was taking it “step by step”.
“Acclimatisation day 3 - just taking a stroll in the garden above a blanket of clouds,” Zulu captioned one of his last moments, a picture of him and his wife trekking up the mountain.
Nelson Mandela Foundation spokesman Neeran Naidoo said Zulu fell ill late on Sunday afternoon and was subsequently put on a drip.
When his condition hadn’t changed by around 9pm, it was decided that he and his wife should be taken down the mountain.
Naidoo said Zulu and his wife were assisted by four rescue team members, three porters and an expedition leader.
He died around 4am on Monday.
The foundation said Zulu’s fellow trekkers were expected back in South Africa this evening.
The Star