Issue 464 | 25 February 2021
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GLOBAL CITIZEN: PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA CALLS ON RICH COUNTRIES TO DONATE VACCINES TO AFRICA
 
"We continue to call on world leaders to support the COVAX facility to ensure rapid and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries."
 
 
 
On 23 February 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a virtual address at the World Health Organisation’s Global Citizen Recovering Better Together Campaign. The virtual event was hosted from Geneva, Switzerland.

The initiative brings together governments, world leaders, businesses and civil society working together to end the COVID-19 pandemic, stop world hunger and ensure quality and inclusive education.

In addition, the campaign seeks to create momentum for global COVID-19 pandemic recovery and a return to the implementation of global goals.

The President commended Global Citizen’s swift response during the pandemic “by hosting the One World Together At Home benefit concert in support of healthcare workers on the frontline”.

“Overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic is essential if we are to make any progress in tackling poverty. To achieve this, we must deepen cooperation to ensure equitable access to vaccines”.

He added that “no person, no country and no region must be left behind”. In order to fight the pandemic, President Ramaphosa said “we need to pool all our resources, our capabilities, our knowledge and intellectual property”.

“That is why we continue to call on world leaders to support the COVAX facility to ensure rapid and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries”.

He then called on world leaders to “support the COVAX facility to ensure rapid and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries”, and applauded those who have stepped up already:

“And in this regard, I applaud and support what President Macron and President Ursula von der Leyen have called for […] that rich countries must donate 5% of their vaccines to needy countries, particularly on our continent – Africa”.

He added that “another important step is to enable the transfer of medical technology for the duration of the pandemic”. He explained that it would allow countries to increase the production of COVID-19 vaccines, improve distribution and lower prices.

He said it was vital for the nations of the world to “work together to end hunger, promote education and protect the planet”.

“Alongside these efforts to overcome the pandemic, we must work together to end hunger, promote education and the resumption of learning, and protect the planet. By doing so, we will be contributing to a fair, just and inclusive recovery. The world will recover, it will recover better, and it will recover together. For the benefit of all, leaving no one behind”.

– Source: www.thesouthafrican.com
 
 
CONDOLENCES FOR PROF. NDULU
 
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed sadness at the passing of esteemed Tanzanian economist Professor Benno Ndulu.
 
 
The professor who served as a member of South Africa’s Presidential Economic Advisory Council, passed away in a hospital in the Tanzanian capital of Dar es Salaam on Monday. He was 71 years old.

“President Ramaphosa offers his sincere condolences to Prof. Ndulu’s family, the people of Tanzania and Prof. Ndulu’s extensive, global and continental network of associates and partners,” said The Presidency in a statement on Tuesday, 23 February 2021.

The President also offered his condolences equally to the members of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

During his multifaceted career, Prof. Ndulu worked in the World Bank Group and served as a Governor of the central bank of the United Republic of Tanzania.

He was also respected as an academic economist at the University of Dar es Salaam.

“We share this great loss with the people of Tanzania, who, in their generosity, shared Prof. Ndulu’s wisdom and vision with our nation through our Presidential Economic Advisory Council,” said President Ramaphosa.

In his tribute, the President described Prof. Ndulu as an outstanding economic intellectual with an extraordinary and vibrant passion for African development and for the reconstruction and recovery of South Africa’s own economy.

“He made an invaluable contribution to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. It is sad that Africa has lost a great thinker and visionary in the infancy of continental free trade.”

The President appointed members of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council with effect from 1 October 2019. The council was announced by the President to ensure greater coherence and consistency in the implementation of economic policy and ensure that government and society in general is better equipped to respond to changing economic circumstances.

“We shall miss this special counsellor but we will be guided by the spirit and content of his lifetime of devotion to building a better Africa,” said President Ramaphosa.

– Source: SAnews.gov.za
 
 
PRESIDENT COMMENDS SANDF ROLE IN COVID-19 FIGHT
 
 
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has been essential to national efforts to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.
 
“Through the invaluable work you have done and continue to do during this pandemic, you have demonstrated that the SANDF can be relied on in good and bad times, in times of peace and times of war, in times of stability and prosperity, and in times of crisis,” President Ramaphosa said on Sunday, 21 February 2021.

Addressing this year’s Armed Forces Day virtually, the President saluted soldiers who had succumbed to COVID-19, saying they were heroes who died in the line of duty.

“We owe them a debt of gratitude and convey our deepest condolences to their loved ones. We honour these men and women in uniform, who continue to put their lives on the line to defend our nation, and to contribute to peacekeeping and peacebuilding on our continent,” President Ramaphosa said.

He thanked soldiers who helped to maintain law and order in the early days of the lockdown.

“The SANDF undertook mercy missions to repatriate our citizens abroad, who were fearful and wanted to be reunited with their families. The SA Army Engineers Corps helped deliver clean drinking water to vulnerable communities.

“What touched us perhaps the most as the nation was the sight of SANDF members helping the elderly to carry their groceries, walking alongside young people making their way home, and many other instances that showed our armed forces at their best.

“The SA Air Force and the Logistics Division managed the distribution of much-needed supplies to deployed forces. The South African Military Health Service deployed its personnel in all provinces, where they worked in hotspots, and helped set up field hospitals and quarantine sites,” President Ramaphosa said.

The President said the SANDF must continue to be a disciplined organisation so it can function optimally.

“We know that the Defence Force will not accept any actions by its members that violate the laws of our country or the rights of our people. We know that where there are transgressions, it will act against those responsible.”

President Ramaphosa said SANDF members had an invaluable role to play in nation-building.

“You are not just armed forces that exist to defend our nation; you are foremost forces of development and progress.”

Armed Forces Day is held annually on 21 February to commemorate the sinking of South African troopship SS Mendi in 1917 in the English Channel during World War One.

– Source: SAnews.gov.za
 
 
SOUTH AFRICA MOVES TO MANUFACTURE, COMMERCIALISE HYDROGEN CELL TECHNOLOGY
 
After over a decade of research and development around hydrogen fuel technology, President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa is now ready to manufacture and commercialise hydrogen fuels technology.
 
 
The President said this when he responded to a debate on the State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday, 18 February 2021.

For more than a decade, government has been working with various partners, including the private sector and academia, to develop hydrogen fuel cell and lithium battery storage technologies.

“This work serves two important developmental objectives: it offers the possibility of a new, renewable source of energy, while establishing new uses and new markets for the platinum group metals that are abundant in our country.

“Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, which use platinum, offer an alternative source of clean electricity, while hydrogen allows for energy to be stored and delivered in a usable form,” he said.

The President said through its Hydrogen South Africa Strategy, government and its partners had successfully deployed hydrogen fuel cells to provide electricity in schools and to field hospitals established as part of the country's COVID-19 response.

“Now, after a decade of investment, we are ready to move from research and development to manufacturing and commercialisation.

“We are establishing a Platinum Valley as an industrial cluster bringing various hydrogen applications in the country together to form an integrated hydrogen ecosystem.

“This initiative will identify concrete project opportunities for kick-starting hydrogen cell manufacturing in promising hubs,” he said.

In 2019, Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, said progress was made in preparing the country for a hydrogen economy.

At the time, Minister Nzimande said that the work of the Hydrogen South Africa programme had resulted in the establishment of spin-out companies whose products are attracting market interest.

Addressing a hybrid joint sitting of Parliament, the President said the newly-established Platinum Valley would facilitate the commercialisation of home-grown intellectual property.

“It presents an opportunity to build a local skills base and lead the country into a new era of energy generation and demand for its platinum group metals.

“Through this initiative, South African skills, technology and expertise are being used to extract greater economic value – in the form of new jobs, industrial development and cleaner energy – from a mineral that the country has in substantial quantities.

“We will develop measures that should be taken to ensure that innovators are supported in local innovation and research.

“This is just one example of the boundless potential that exists in our country to build a new economy of the future,” said the President.

– Source: SAnews.gov.za
 
 
QATAR AIRWAYS INCREASES FLIGHT FREQUENCIES
 
 
Qatar Airways is expanding its network in South Africa by increasing its flight frequencies in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.
 
“Cape Town will increase to seven weekly flights, Durban increases to three weekly flights, while Johannesburg increases to 18 weekly flights, offering passengers more flexible and reliable travel options,” Qatar Airways said on Wednesday, 17 February 2021.

By March 2021, Qatar Airways will operate 28 weekly flights from South Africa. The airline has applied its unrivalled knowledge of global passenger flows and booking trends to rebuild its South Africa network to 28 weekly flights across Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

“We are proud to be the leading international carrier connecting South Africa with Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the United States, offering more flexible travel options and a global network of flights that passengers, trade and business partners can rely on.

“South Africa has always been a very important market to us and we continue to demonstrate our commitment to the region by adding new routes and steadily increasing frequencies across the continent.

“As global travel recovers in 2021, we look forward to further expanding our network and offering more connections to and from Africa via the Best Airport in the Middle East, Hamad International Airport, to our global network of over 120 destinations,” Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said.

South African Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona, welcomed the move by the airline.

“This certainly demonstrates to the world that South Africa has put the necessary measures in place to ensure that it is safe for travel in the COVID-19 environment.

“Air Access is important for South Africa, as we to look to recover post-COVID and Qatar Airways has an extensive global network that links travellers via Doha from our source markets. As we embark on our tourism recovery strategy, having airlines such as Qatar Airways play a supporting role by increasing its capacity, will go a long way in assisting us regain the international arrival numbers,” Ntshona said.

In line with the airline’s steady rebuild of its South Africa network, Qatar Airways has increased frequencies to the following destinations:
  • Cape Town (increasing to seven weekly flights from 1 March)
  • Durban (increased to three weekly flights from 14 February)
  • Johannesburg (increased to 18 weekly flights from 26 January).
– Source: SAnews.gov.za
 
 
KULULA TO RESTART OPERATING AT LANSERIA FROM 1 APRIL 2021
 
 
South Africa’s low-cost airline kulula.com has announced that it will restart its operations at Lanseria International Airport from 1 April 2021, servicing its Durban and Cape Town routes.
 
Similar to the reintroduction of its other routes, kulula.com will commence with a limited schedule, adding additional frequencies over the next couple of months. Customers are now able to book flights from Lanseria via various distribution channels at market-related fares.

Desmond O’Connor, Executive Head of Revenue Management at kulula.com, says the airline is “extremely excited” about reopening its services at Lanseria.

“With the reintroduction of flights between Lanseria, Durban and Cape Town and with faster check-in processes, as well as a shorter walk from the car park to the terminal, it’s an obvious choice for visitors that frequently fly into Gauteng,” says O’Connor.

– Source: www.sapeople.com
 
 
FACEBOOK LAUNCHES CLIMATE SCIENCE INFORMATION CENTRE IN SOUTH AFRICA AND NIGERIA
 
Facebook has rolled out its Climate Science Information Centre to sub-Saharan Africa, providing accurate, expert advice and information about global developments that affect their lives.
 
 
On 18 February 2021, Facebook announced the roll-out of its Climate Science Information Centre to sub-Saharan Africa, starting with South Africa and Nigeria, as part of its commitment to connecting people to accurate, expert advice and information about global developments that affect their lives. The centre, available in 16 countries, aims to connect people on Facebook with resources from the world’s leading climate change organisations.

Modelled on the Facebook COVID-19 Information Centre, which has, so far, directed more than two billion people to information from health authorities, the Climate Science Information Centre offers facts about climate change and actionable steps people can take in their everyday lives to combat climate change.

Along with expanding the centre, Facebook is improving it. The centre now includes a section that features facts that debunk common climate myths – including facts such as how the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere harms the Earth’s plant life, and polar bear populations are declining because of global warming. To debunk the myths with current and specific facts, Facebook has brought in climate experts from the George Mason University, the Yale Programme on Climate Change Communication and the University of Cambridge.

Kojo Boakye, Director of Public Policy, Africa, says: “We can only address climate change if we all work together on a global scale. We are taking important steps to reduce our emissions and arm our global community with science-based information to make informed decisions and tools to take action. We hope with these efforts that we can continue helping to inspire real action.”

Facebook will also be directing people to the United Nations Environment Programme when they search about climate change in regions where the Climate Science Information Centre isn’t yet available.

– Source: www.goodthingsguy.com
 
 
SOUTH AFRICAN INVENTION WILL SOON BRING MORE ASTRONAUTS SAFELY HOME FROM SPACE
 
 
A South African has successfully found a way to safely bring home astronauts and recycle their spacecraft at the same time.
 
Pele Collins – a South African who attended St John’s College in 2012 – has successfully found a way to safely bring home astronauts and recycle their spacecraft at the same time.

The two years spent on a parachute system design, fully qualified for human spaceflight, was a huge success for the young South African engineer. It culminated this year in the safe return of two National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronauts from the International Space Station. Collins was part of the SpaceX team working on Dragon 2, a class of reusable spacecraft.

When he matriculated from St John’s in 2012, Collins left to study at the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania, achieving his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s in Robotics. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles to work for Space Explorations Technologies – better known as SpaceX.

As a Structures Engineer at SpaceX, Pele is responsible for the design, analysis, development, testing, production and integration of the parachute system on the Crew Dragon Space Vehicle.

Collins has much to be proud of. Bringing the NASA astronauts safely home was a golden moment in his life.

“This was the first time astronauts launched from American soil since 2011 and the first return under parachutes (what I specifically work on) since Apollo (more than 50 years ago). Seeing them descend slowly under my redesigned parachutes will always be one of the highlights of my life, especially knowing that in the design of these parachutes we encountered a lot of real issues and, in some cases, catastrophic failure.

“But in overcoming these hurdles, I had to discover some things that made our parachutes quantitatively safer than any other aerospace parachute in history. We have shared this information with the rest of the industry, so all other parachutes of its kind will also be safer as a result.”

– Source: www.goodthingsguy.com
 
 
FIRST DEDICATED PANGOLIN VETERINARY WARD OPENED IN SOUTH AFRICA
 
In commemoration of World Pangolin Day on 20 February 2021, Investec announced plans to fund and support the first dedicated pangolin veterinary ward in Africa in partnership with the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital (JWVH).
 
 

While illegal wildlife trade is a global crisis, South Africa has become a global hotspot for poaching and trafficking syndicates due to the country’s biodiversity and abundant wildlife. Globally, these illicit activities generate around US$23 billion annually, which makes illegal wildlife trade the fourth most profitable criminal activity globally, yet it lacks prominence as a financial crime.

“Pangolins are currently the world’s most trafficked non-human mammal. In 2019, 97 tonnes of scales were trafficked from Africa, which equates to roughly 160 000 pangolins,” states Nicci Wright, co-founder of the JWVH and wildlife rehabilitation specialist.

The hospital has established itself as a global leader in the field of pangolin veterinary treatment and rehabilitation by developing specialised treatment protocols for these animals.

The JWVH is currently the only facility mandated by the South African Government to treat and rehabilitate pangolins confiscated in South Africa by the South African Police Service and conservation law-enforcement officers on a long-term basis.

The facility has already treated over 130 pangolin patients since it opened in March 2017. And together with the African Pangolin Working Group (AWPG), the JWVH oversees the release and post-release monitoring of all pangolin discharged from the hospital.

“We provide treatment to all small and medium indigenous wildlife free of charge and, as such, rely solely on the support of our community and corporate sponsors, like Investec, to fund our hospital,” adds Wright.

Through this support, and the expertise of co-founder and head veterinarian Dr Karin Lourens and her team, the JWVH has raised its treatment, rehabilitation and release rate from 50% to 80% over the last four years.

Dr Lourens and her team will conduct all medical treatment on pangolins in a specially designed ward with its own theatre. The dedicated pangolin ward, which is offsite at an undisclosed location, will help to reduce the stress on these animals and improve their chances of recovery.

“This investment supports our vision to become a world-class provider of veterinary care for endangered pangolins, while also serving as a teaching hospital for veterinary students and a base for academic research to support global conservation efforts,” concludes Wright.

– Source: www.goodthingsguy.com

 
 
CAPTIVE (BRITISH) BORN CHEETAHS MADE WILD AGAIN IN THE KAROO
 
 
Another incredible South African conservation story – two young Cheetahs that were born in captivity in the United Kingdom (UK) are in the process of being made wild again in the Karoo.
 
Mount Camdeboo, the private game reserve in South Africa’s vast and spectacular Great Karoo region owned by the Buchanan family, has recorded not one but two wins in the race to save wild cheetahs from extinction.

Both success stories involve animals born in captivity – including two brothers hand-reared in Britain – and are in the process of being “wilded”. The cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, has been declared a vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

With fewer than 7 000 animals remaining in the world, only 1 000 exist in the wild. Most are in South Africa’s two largest game reserves, the Kruger and Kgalagadi national parks, and can be regarded as healthy populations. The remaining 350 are spread between 50 smaller game reserves, and it is these animals that are most at risk. In the wild, 90% of cheetah cubs die in their first three months. Half fall victim to other predators and the rest die from infections which their immune systems, weakened by inbreeding, are unable to overcome. Overcoming genetic homogeneity is a focus of an Endangered Wildlife Trust initiative, the Cheetah Metapopulation Project, in which Mount Camdeboo Private Nature Reserve actively participates.

Partnering with Mount Camdeboo are Ashia Cheetah Conservation from South Africa and the Aspinall Foundation in Britain. Ashia is a not-for-profit organisation that tests and treats captive-born cheetah for disease and malnutrition. Their DNA is also mapped.

Four-year-old brothers, Nairo and Saba, were donated to Mount Camdeboo by the Aspinall Foundation. They arrived in South Africa last February from a zoo in England, the first cheetahs born in Britain to return to their African roots. Saba was (of necessity) hand-reared by Victoria Aspinall, wife of Aspinall Foundation Chairperson Damian.

The Aspinall Foundation’s commitment is to conservation through captive breeding education and reintroduction. As an animal charity, the foundation is working in some of the world’s most fragile environments to save endangered animals and return them to the wild. In South Africa, the Aspinall Foundation was founded in 1995 with their first reintroduction of the eastern black rhino. They became the first charity to send a brown hyena born in the UK back to Africa. In more recent years, they have rescued elephants, giraffes and antelopes and have achieved another world-first in conservation for sending a pair of UK born cheetah, Nairo and Saba, back to the wild.

“Our relationship with the Aspinall Foundation is based on respect and trust,” says Mount Camdeboo owner Iain Buchanan. “Damian and Victoria visited the reserve in 2019, and I told them of my desire to return the eastern Karoo to the days, 150 – 200 years ago, when it teemed with wildlife. “We took them for a helicopter flip around the reserve, and they were blown away. I think they could picture their precious cubs running free in this magical landscape.

“We explained the Mount Camdeboo approach to conservation over the past two decades, and they completely bought into our philosophy, ethos and vision. They were happy to shake hands on the deal right there and then,” says Buchanan.

“The rest is history, albeit the story is ongoing. It has just been a pleasure to work with the Aspinall Foundation, and I can’t wait for them to be physically part of the process when we release the two boys “into their forever free home”.

Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve covers 14 000 hectares, nearly 400 times the size of the wild animal park in Kent from which Saba and Nairo came. The climate and topography are also very different. However, it didn’t take long for the pair to bring down their first prey after being released into their current home, a 300-ha “rewilding camp” that has been stocked with small antelope. The camp is devoid of other predators and closed to Mount Camdeboo visitors. Adjacent to the hunting camp is an 8 000-ha enclosure with the characteristic Camdeboo landscape of savannah, high hills and deep valleys.

“This is where we will release the brothers when we feel they are ready for the final leg of their odyssey,” says Buchanan.

In this area is Ava, another “Ashia” cheetah. She is older than Saba and Nairo and a year further in the wilding process. Ava had her first litter of cubs in December 2020. Both sets of animals are monitored by Les Slabbert, one of Mount Camdeboo’s most experienced field guides.

Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve is represented by NEWMARK Hotels, Reserves, Lodges and Residences, which operates nearly a score of hotels, reserves, lodges and residences in South and East Africa as well as Mauritius. Mount Camdeboo is located about 60km south-east of Graaff-Reinet and is in a malaria-free region of South Africa.

The accommodation currently comprises three elegant manor houses (two feature lavish “Out of Africa”-style décor and the third, with more contemporary furnishings, is ideal for families), as well as an intimate cottage for two.

– Source: www.goodthingsguy.com
 
 
LOYISO GOLA’S “UNLEARNING” IS NETFLIX’S FIRST AFRICAN STAND-UP COMEDY
 
 
The world needs a laugh right now, and Netflix has selected South Africa’s Loyiso Gola to deliver just that. The sharp-witted comedian is back with his sharp wit and critically acclaimed comedy hour, “Unlearning”, which will debut globally on 23 March 2021.
 
Gola is the first African to have a solo full hour of stand-up comedy on Netflix and that’s not all – this is the first African original for 2021!

In this original comedy special, Gola explores unlearning all of the perceptions and behaviours we take on as children, which inform our lives as adults, told through the prism of his own experience of maturity and masculinity in apartheid South Africa.

The special first debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and ran at the MICF, London’s Soho Theatre, Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown), and Soho Playhouse in New York. Following the crazy year that was 2020, Gola brought his special to his hometown, Cape Town. Africa’s latest Netflix Original was filmed in front of a live audience at the famed Zeits Mocca, following strict COVID-19 protocols, and while the audience was small and intimate, the laughter filled the room.

Gola is one of Africa’s most loved and popular stand-up comedians. Included in his many impressive accolades, Gola is a two-time Emmy- nominated anchor for his satirical news television series, Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola, which launched in 2010 and saw 12 seasons.

Gola is also the African correspondent for Charlie Pickering’s The Weekly on ABC in Australia. Some of Gola’s noteworthy performances include his show, Tall Tales, which ran at the Soho Theatre in 2015, Dude, Where’s My Lion?, which ran in Edinburgh, Loyiso Gola Live in New York, which was his debut United States stand-up special, recorded in Brooklyn in 2016 and the Netflix special, Comedians of the World, which was released in 2019.

– Source: www.sapeople.com
 
 
WAYDE VAN NIEKERK SA’S NEWEST LAUREUS SPORT FOR GOOD AMBASSADOR
 
South African sprint sensation and current 400m World and Olympic record holder, Wayde van Niekerk, has been announced as the latest Laureus Ambassador.
 
 
South African sprint sensation and current 400m World and Olympic record holder, Wayde van Niekerk, has been announced as the latest Laureus Ambassador.

Van Niekerk joins an illustrious group of esteemed South African sporting icons in the Laureus Family, including Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis and player Amanda Dlamini, Bafana Bafana legend Lucas Radebe and Springbok legends Jean de Villiers, Corne Krige and Bryan Habana.

Born in Kraaifontein in Cape Town, Van Niekerk got his first taste of sport playing rugby with his cousin Cheslin Kolbe.

After deciding his future lay in athletics, Van Niekerk took up sprinting in 2009, at the age of 17.

He qualified for the World Juniors in the 200m and started concentrating on the 200m and 400m.

He made his first international appearance at the 2010 IAAF World U20 Championships in Moncton and continued his spectacular progress at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing, setting a new African record of 43.48 to win the 400m title.

In 2016, he became the 107th athlete to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m.

That made him the first individual to break 10 seconds for 100m, 20 seconds for 200m, and 44 seconds for 400m.

On a magical evening of track and field in Rio in 2016, a night that had an entire nation beaming with pride, Van Niekerk produced a breath-taking run, running  “blind” in Lane 8 to beat Michael Johnson’s longstanding world record set in 1999.

In August 2017, Van Niekerk successfully defended his 400m world title at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London and continues to be one of South Africa’s most decorated and celebrated sportspeople.

Wayde van Niekerk said: “I’m honoured to be a part of the Laureus family, joining an esteemed group of sports men and women who are members and ambassadors of this great global organisation.

“Laureus does amazing work in uplifting society by celebrating sport and transforming lives across South Africa and around the world, so I’m excited to get started and make an impact with my involvement in the Sport for Good Foundation, especially working on the Laureus projects, which I am so passionate about, including mental health projects and nutritional education within local communities.”

Laureus Ambassadors are a select group of both current and retired sportsmen and women who have achieved sporting greatness or made significant contributions to the sporting community during their careers. They are recognised as role models and icons of success and volunteer their services to support the work of Laureus Sport for Good.

Laureus Sport for Good is a global charity that uses the power of sport to help young people overcome violence, discrimination and disadvantage. Currently, supporting more than 200 programmes in over 40 countries, Laureus has raised more than €150m for the Sport for Development sector and changed the lives of more than six million children and young people since 2000.

– Source: www.thesouthafrican.com
 
 
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