Anele Mdoda and DJ Fresh amongst 2011 Bikers For Mandela Day riders

With less than a week to go before departure on July 11, the full contingent of riders taking part in this year’s Bikers For Mandela Day has been announced by the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF).

They include 5fm’s DJ Fresh and newsreader Angie Khumalo as well as singer Bok Van Blerk and Survivor SA: Maldives winner and Binnelanders actor, Hykie Berg. Actress Hanna Grobler will be riding pillion with Van Blerk while actors Ivan Zimmerman (Egoli) Darren Kelfkens (7de Laan; Isidingo) and Jack Devnarain (Isidingo) will also take part in this year’s ride.

Also joining the 25 - 26 riders and 15 support staff departing from Montecasino, Johannesburg on July 11 are legendary off-road motorbike trainer, Jan du Toit (Jan Staal); Saint Seseli, actor and Bike SA writer; Ramon Changuion of the Christian Motorcycle Association; and businessmen, Constant Visser, Brendon Neuper, Gert van Wyk and Motheo Sekgaphane. Letshego Moshoeu, Survivor SA Maldives 2011 runner-up will ride pillion with Sekgaphane.

Several riders will join the group for a few days at a time including Sean Shipalana of GoldRand Harley Davidson as well as 5fm’s Anele  Mdoda and Jacaranda fm sports presenter, John Walland.

A key addition to this year’s 2 200-plus kilometre ride into a significantly more rural terrain than before is veterinarian, Dr Kobus van der Merwe.

He will be educating communities and treating animals at the community stop-offs with the support of sponsors.

“The need for care and awareness of animals was something that we noticed in 2010,” says Zelda la Grange of the NMF, another Bikers For Mandela Day rider. “Having Kobus riding with us in a support vehicle will make a real impact on the communities we visit.”

Dr Van Der Merwe’s is not the only animal-centred presence on the 2011 Bikers For Mandela Day ride: The Industrial Development Corporation will be using the ride to enhance the Nguni Cattle Project which aims to reintroduce the hardy, indigenous Nguni cattle into rural communities and to explain the economic sustainability to be benefitted from in rural communities if blood lines are kept pure and animals taken care of properly.

The riders on the 2011 Bikers For Mandela Day trip have expressed their delight at participating in this year’s event as part of Nelson Mandela Day.

“I'm very privileged to be part of this wonderful initiative again this year. I can't wait to start my bike in this cold winter and make some hearts warm along the way,” says Van Blerk.

For 5fm newsreader Khumalo the chance to “be part of something bigger than ourselves” was key to her decision to participate.

“I think we get so bogged down with our own lives that we become desensitized to the plight of the less fortunate. For me personally this will be a wonderful opportunity to become re-sensitized and I'm honoured to be able to participate in furthering Madiba's legacy of giving one's time for the betterment of ones community. Being able to do that while riding my dream bike, is just a very tasty cherry on top.”

“It’s a privilege to be among the group of riders again reaching out to thousands of lives,” adds Devnarain.  “I’m inspired by the notion that we are not so much about charity as we are about empowerment and again, we will demonstrate throughout our journey that we are all responsible for our people, our country, our world.  Through our actions we will remind people that we all possess the humanity that defines the Mandela legacy.”

Bikers For Mandela will be visiting community projects along the 2011 route, devoting 67 minutes of their time at each one to activities that will leave a lasting and sustainable impact on their beneficiaries.

This year’s route covers Gauteng, Free State, Kwa-Zulu Natal, and Mpumulanga as well as a section of Swaziland.

The bikers return to Pretoria on Nelson Mandela’s birthday on July 18.

FULL LIST OF RIDERS:

1.      Coetzee Zietsman – Motorbiking reporter

2.      Angie Khumalo – 5fm news reporter

3.      Chevan Rayson – CNN reporter

4.      Hykie Berg – Survivor 2011 winner and Actor from Binnelanders

5.      Ivan Zimmerman – Musician and Actor

6.      Maritz van Zyl – TSU security

7.      Letshego Moshoeu – Survivor 2011 runner up (pillion with Motheo)

8.      DJ Fresh – 5fm Presenter

9.      Gert van Wyk – Businessman – co-owner of Royal Elephant Hotel

10.  Jan du Toit – Legendary off-road motorbike trainer – known as Jan Staal

11.  Sean Shipalana – Businessman – co-owner of Gold Rand Harley (only joins us the first 3 days)

12.  Brendon Neuper – Businessman – owner of Worth-It landscaping

13.  Constant Visser – Businessman

14.  Bertus Prinsloo – Businessman – Outdoor Medical

15.  Ramon Changuion – Represents Christian Motorcycle Association

16.  Hanna Grobler – Actress (pillion with Bok van Blerk)

17.  Zelda la Grange – Nelson Mandela Foundation

18.  Darren Kelfkens – Actor and Producer

19.  Bok van Blerk – Singer

20.  Jack Devnarain – Actor from Isidingo

21.  Saint Seseli – Actor and Motorbike reporter

22.  Anele Mdoda – (only joins us the last weekend) 5fm presenter

23.  John Walland – Jacaranda fm sports presenter (only joins us the first day)

24.  Motheo Sekgaphane – Businessman