Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma is saddened by the loss of Gugu Zulu, who passed away on Monday morning while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
“South Africa has lost an inspirational young man, who was not only an adventure enthusiast but was also passionate about community initiatives aimed at improving the lives of others. We send our heartfelt condolences to the Zulu family and wish them strength at this most difficult time,” President Zuma said.
Zulu was one of the climbers of the Trek4Mandela team, which attempted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for an initiative that is aimed at raising funds in support of underprivileged girls.
According to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Gugu was climbing Kilimanjaro with his wife Letshego.
They both descended the mountain together with Richard Mabaso, the project leader and the medical teams. The team was led by experienced mountaineer, Sibusiso Vilane.
“The details are sketchy. What we do know is that Gugu experienced problems breathing. The medical team supporting the trek put him on a drip and they descended the mountain with him. We are informed that the medical teams tried everything possible to save his life,” the foundation said in a statement.
The climbers were due to summit Kilimanjaro on Monday for Mandela Day.
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