About 4 000 cyclists of all ages took to the streets of Joburg cycling along a route, which included several of the city’s heritage sites in celebration of Nelson Mandela’s legacy.
The event served to commemorate the global icon on the first Mandela Day since his death last year and to promote cycling in the city.
Mayor Parks Tau, who participated in the event, said the ride aimed to make the city bicycle friendly, promote a healthy lifestyle and to show the city’s commitment towards going green.
“De Korte and Jorissen streets in Braamfontein have been reconfigured and now include a dedicated green strip reserved for cyclists, while in Orlando, the sidewalk has been reconstructed to include a cycle lane,” Tau said.
The ride, which started and ended at the Nelson Mandela Bridge, travelled along the city’s newly constructed cycle lanes in Braamfontein and Orlando.
The route also passed historical sites such as West Park Cemetery, where Walter and Albertina Sisulu are buried, and the Nelson Mandela family house in Vilakazi Street in Orlando.
At the Hector Pietersen Memorial in Soweto, participants were given an opportunity to explore and appreciate the historic area, and many participants stopped to take pictures at the site and submerge themselves in its rich history.
They were further able to honour Mandela by tying commemorative ribbons at the site.
Jacob Moshokoa, one of the participants, said he was taking part in the Freedom Ride for a second time and had decided to use electric bikes to punt the going green movement.
“What a nice way to spend a Sunday morning… seeing bits of your city and seeing a place with such rich heritage like Vilakazi Street in Soweto,” he said.
“Apart from the fun of it, it’s about what you learning as you go along the way and the people you meet.”
He said it was a unifying event because it brought people from all walks of life together.
“Riding through all the different townships, it’s nice to see how it’s all one.”
Another cyclist, Carina du Toit said participating in the Freedom Ride was a learning experience and an opportunity to become more involved in the community.
“After the death of Madiba I realised that I’m not doing enough for the country and that I can learn a lot from him… for me, working for a big company like Pep Stores, we always do more but it’s easy to do it when a company gives you stuff to do, but as an individual I want to do more and get more involved in the community.”
