After 24 days and hundreds of kilometer's on the road, the three members of the Walk Beyond Limits team say their demanding journey from Johannesburg to Durban is about much more than completing a 600km walk.
The group arrived in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday, continuing a fundraising campaign aimed at highlighting the challenges faced by people living with disabilities and raising money to support children and other people with disabilities.
The walk began in Marshalltown, Johannesburg, on 1 September, with the team planning to complete the journey in Durban.
Founder Molelekwa Mahoko, better known as MC Megacy on TikTok, said people with disabilities should have access to the same opportunities as everyone else.
“People with disabilities deserve the same opportunities as any other human being,” Mahoko said outside Pietermaritzburg City Hall.
Walking for a bigger cause
The team has covered about 258km so far, travelling through communities in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.
Mahoko said the idea behind the campaign developed after witnessing what he described as a gap between the basic needs of people living with disabilities and the support available to them.
The fundraising initiative aims to assist children and other people with disabilities, with the organisers hoping to support one centre in each of South Africa’s nine provinces.
“We saw the gap between government and people when it comes to basic needs and access,” Mahoko said.
For the walkers, every kilometre represents more than physical distance. They see the journey as a symbol of the obstacles many people with disabilities face when seeking basic services, opportunities and the chance to live with dignity.
Mahoko is undertaking the challenge alongside Vusumuzi Nelson Mbambani and Vusumuzi Moses Dodo.
Long road to Durban
Their route has taken them through Germiston, Vosloorus, Heidelberg, Balfour, Grootvlei, Villiers, Frankfort, Tweeling, Reitz, Kestell and Harrismith before they entered KwaZulu-Natal.
Following their stop in Pietermaritzburg, the team is expected to continue towards Pinetown before completing the final stretch into Durban on Saturday.
The campaign has also attracted support from members of the public, with the walkers using TikTok to record their progress and regularly going live to keep supporters updated.
Mahoko said the encouragement from the public had helped the team push through the physical strain of walking such long distances.
More than a fundraising walk
While raising money is an important part of the campaign, Mahoko said the broader objective is to promote greater inclusion and challenge perceptions surrounding disability.
He said having a disability should not prevent someone from receiving opportunities to work, study, participate in society or contribute to their community.
The team's arrival in Durban will mark the end of the physical journey, with supporters invited to join them for the final celebration.
For Mahoko and his fellow walkers, however, reaching Durban is only one part of the mission. They hope the campaign encourages people to look beyond disability and recognise the abilities and potential of people who are often excluded from opportunities.
Members of the public who wish to support the initiative can make donations to Capitec Bank, account holder Mahoko, account number 1613929062.
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