Torah’s Cycalive gets underway

Held at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in Houghton, the event brought Central Street to a standstill with the road being blocked to traffic.

For the relay, pupils of the school partnered with pupils of Moletsane High and Pace Commercial Secondary schools, both from Soweto, and will ride for 700km on bicycles to Durban using the R103.

Academy spokesperson, Sue Belling said through the project the school aimed to build bridges and form bonds between young South Africans and their respective communities.

“Many lasting friendships have been forged among the participants over the years,” said Belling.

Cyclists from Israel, principals and teachers from the three schools with a support team of medics are travelling with the teams.

The Steel Wings motorcyclists and the Springs Field Band formed part of the event.

Belling said the send-off ceremony was held at the centre in honour of Nelson Mandela. “The project is endorsed by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and as South Africa celebrates 20 years of democracy, we decided to host the ceremony here and not at the school as we normally do,” she said.

Upon reaching Durban, the 35 cyclists are scheduled to be met by officials from Ethekwini Metro Police and escorted by the field band to Moses Mabhida Stadium on 21 August.

Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein said the project was the essence of Nelson Mandela’s legacy of non-racialism.

Speaking at the event was also the dean of the school, Rabbi Dovid Hazdan who called the project a celebration of the new South Africa.

Yase Godlo, manager for Mandela Day and Outreach at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, said Cycalive was one way of making every day Mandela Day.

Director for the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, Wendy Kahn said, “The programme celebrates what we have in common, not our differences.”

Dan Zimba, former principal of Pace Commercial Secondary School, dubbed the programme as a milestone in the country’s nation building.