300km to inspire blood donations

POLOKWANE – Montiki Maholo and his companion, Thabo Mogale, walked 300km from Gauteng to Polokwane as part of their campaign to create awareness of the need for blood donation.

The two men completed three journeys on their quest to encourage people to donate blood. In previous years, they walked from Johannesburg to Polokwane and from Tzaneen to Polokwane. Their most recent walk was from Pretoria to Polokwane.

Montiki said they covered about five kilometres per 90 minutes.

“Anyone is welcome to try to walk with us, but they should keep in mind that we don’t walk, we fly,” he said.

Along their route, the two walkers visited clinics and hospitals where they addressed the people and explained how important blood donations were.

They made use of these opportunities to encourage people to donate blood.

Montiki said his live was saved by blood transfusions in 1991 after he was brutally assaulted during the political unrest that took place in South Africa at that time.

“I needed blood to save my life. A woman that I only know as Mrs van der Merwe donated blood to save me. This changed my whole outlook on life and South Africans of other races.”

Thabo had been disabled from a very young age, but never allowed his disability to slow him down. He walked every step of the way with Montiki.

Some of the Polokwane South African Blood Services (SANBS) personnel walked with Montiki and Thabo on their trip from Tzaneen to Polokwane last year.

Dottie Pinn, Polokwane spokesperson for the SANBS said they wished more people would follow the two men’s example to create awareness about blood donation.

“It is wonderful to know that there are people like Montiki and Thabo who are literally willing to go the extra mile to help others,” Pinn said. Thabo said if all went to plan, their next journey would be from Durban to Polokwane. Both men expressed their thanks to the traffic and police officials who helped them on their journeys.