Help for Khumalo's family to travel to UK
Crowdfunding drive as passports awaited
The family of SA cricketer Mondli Khumalo, who is critically injured after being attacked in the UK at the weekend, is preparing to visit him.
The department of sport, arts and culture confirmed on Thursday that it was assisting Khumalo's family from Durban with getting passports to travel to the UK. The department said the family will receive their passports on Friday.
Khumalo, an SA under-19 cricket player, was assaulted in the early hours of Sunday morning at a taxi rank in the UK.
Department spokesperson Madimetja Moleba said the ministry has already started talks with the department of home affairs to assist the family.
''The department of sport, arts and culture is saddened to learn of the brutal assault on former SA U19 cricket player Mondli Khumalo, following an attack after a cricket match, at Heathfield Park, United Kingdom, on Saturday. Khumalo, who is the overseas professional for the North Petherton Cricket Club, is in a critical condition after undergoing three surgeries at Southmead Hospital, in Bristol.
''Having been alerted to Khumalo’s plight by the KwaZulu-Natal Inland Cricket, this morning, the department immediately took steps to assist by engaging with home affairs with the fast-tracking of the passport application for members of his family to travel to the UK to be by his side at this difficult time,'' said Moleba.
Moleba said the SA high commissioner’s office and Khumaloi’s manager are assisting the department in ensuring that his relatives get to the UK.
He said minister Nathi Mthethwa contacted Khumalo’s mother to express his sympathies to the family during the difficult time they are going through.
''Commenting on the matter, minister Mthethwa wished Khumalo well and thanked the cricketing family and cricketers, including our own Kevin Pietersen, who initiated a crowdfunding drive to assist the family,'' said Moleba.
The department said the assistance it is providing to the family will not have any cost implications on it.
Meanwhile, a fundraising campaign on CrowdFunder has been launched by Chantelle Lawrence from England to raise money that will be used to support Khumalo and his family.
At the time of publishing, about R385,000 had been raised from this initiative.