Development riders make history
Michael Ndwandwe and Bonginkosi Nwgane use their bikes as their primary transport to and from work.
HISTORY was made yesterday at the second annual iSimangaliso MTB 4 Day race powered by Nashua, when a special team of five development riders took to the field to compete.
The team has cyclists drawn from the three countries that form part of the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area.
These guys are sponsored by Boundless Southern Africa and are – Miguel Goncalves, Mbusi Motsa, Michael Ndwandwe and Bonginkosi Nwgane.
Miguel Goncalves is a Park Warden of Mozambique’s Ponta do Ouro Parcial Marine Reserve who works closely with iSimangaliso owing to their joint link with the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA).
Mbusi Motsa (Swaziland) is a social rider who calls himself a ‘weekend warrior’ and spends many hours cycling through Swaziland’s protected and rural areas.
Michael Ndwandwe (Somkhele) and Bonginkosi Nwgane (kwaMduku bordering iSimangaliso) use their bikes as their primary transport to and from work, which in Michael’s case is some 60km away from his home base to his workplace in St Lucia town, and this on a basic bicycle with only three working gears.
The 32-year-old security guard therefore hopes that this training will stand him in good stead for his first ever official ride.
Roland Vorwerk (Boundless Southern Africa and cycling team leader), representing an umbrella marketing initiative that focuses on marketing seven different Transfrontier Conservation Areas throughout Southern Africa, said that the development team is not only making history but importantly raising funds for iSimangaliso’s special conservation goal which is the re-introduction of eland.
Eland is the last species of historically occurring game still to be returned to iSimangaliso.
