ROAD RUNNING
The #OurVoices car and
flag contain the names
of over 1200 victims
who will also be mobilising people to meet us when
we get to Cape Town. The bikers will escort us to
Parliament, and between us, all these groups have
over a million supporters or members, so we think
we’re going to have a huge turn-out, even with COVID
lockdown rules.”
In the meantime, Morne says they have a great team
working hard to maximise the effect and reach of the
campaign. “We have 16 people working behind the
scenes, not just as moderators on our social media
pages, or selling branded campaign merchandise,
but also helping with the logistics of the trip, such
as arranging our next night’s accommodation. The
funding for the trip is covered by donations from
family and friends, as we have no corporate sponsors
as yet, and that is why our slogan is for the people, by
the people.”
The thing that both saddens and angers Morne is the
sheer number of people being killed each year in this
country. “We had 21,000 people murdered in South
Africa last year. In that same time, Australia had only
263 murders! That is why I say I love my country,
but I don’t like my government, and that’s why we
are doing this. We also started #OurVoices as a
sub-group of the main campaign, because our voices
needs to speak for the thousands of murder victims,
saying loud and clear that change is needed.”
Mobilising the Masses
Echoing his partner’s thoughts, Nuno explains that
they are using the run to try make a big statement.
“The plan is to run 1650km, including an extra 200km
or so in and around the Mother City itself once we get
there, but the main goal is to arrive at the Houses of
Parliament in Cape Town on the sixth of September,
to coincide with a mass rally of people meeting at
Parliament to protest the high rate of murders being
committed in South Africa,” he says.
“As you have written before in the mag, I ran from
Joburg to Dullstroom in April 2019, which is 320km,
and I’ve done some 48-hour and 72-hour non-stop
runs, all to raise funds for worthy causes. But I have
always wanted to run to Cape Town, because when
I was in a bad space in my life due to my drinking,
I thought it would to snap me out of the proverbial
box,” says Nuno. “I actually already tried to run to
Cape Town last year, but failed miserably. By the time
I got to Winburg, just over 300km in, I had picked up a
glute problem. Secondly, I was carrying my own water
and provisions, and the next stretch to Bloemfontein
was 112km, with no shops or stops along the way, so
I was advised not to do it. I was willing to try walking
it, but going it alone didn’t sound safe, or sane, so I
pulled out.”
Nuno says it was Morne who talked him into giving
the long road to Cape Town another go this year. “He
is an addiction counsellor and also has a running
background, so he has followed me through my
various journeys, and we became mates on Facebook
and started chatting regularly. He was the one who
suggested I should run to Parliament, as he wants
to take copies of the Constitution to present to the
government, to remind them of their duty to uphold
the constitution. I can also see that the country has
big problems, and that we need change, so I said,
right, I’ll run to Parliament if you drive behind me, and
together we can raise awareness of the campaign.”
Gone But Not Forgotten
This saw Morne organise a #OurVoices car, branded
not only with the campaign logo, but also the faces of
women and children murder victims, and the names
of over 1200 victims. “That includes the names of
197 kids, as well as more than 400 women and kids
murdered on farms or smallholdings, and over 600
women murdered in the cities and towns, and these
names all appear on our flag as well. Then we’ve also
got the names of all 400 Parliamentarians on the car,
with one word added… accountability,” he says.
“Once we arrive in Cape Town, we’re going to deliver
a copy of the Constitution to each Parliamentarian,
with a list of all the names that appear on our car and
flag, and we’ll have family members of some of these
victims there, too. We need a lot of people to put
pressure on the government right now for big change,
so we have also joined hands with the #IamStaying
movement, and the #RideToFreedom bike groups,
Nuno adds, “We really need to thank so many people
for their support, and it would be impossible to name
them all, but I’d like to say a special thank you to
Allan Smith at Asics for sending two pairs of shoes
for me to run in. Also, big thanks to Janine from
Peak Products for sending me shakes to use out on
the road. And of course, we’d like to thank all the
guesthouse establishments who are supporting us.
We’ve stayed at about 10 guesthouses so far, and
only had to pay for one! That’s why we’re trying to
promote them all via social media, to try to say thank
you.”
Essential Supporters
Getting back to the running, Nuno says he is enjoying
his second attempt at running to Cape Town much
more than the first. “All my previous long runs were
done solo, with no back-up, and I am finding it much
easier now with support and company all the way.
But more than that, there is so much backing and
support from local communities, who are coming out
to support us, even out on the highway, providing
snacks and offering us braais and a place to stay in
their homes. Often these are people who don’t have
much to give, and it has been heart-warming to see
how much they appreciate what we are doing.”
This support is the aspect of the run that the guys
simply can’t stop talking about. “The other day, a
local farmer named Louis van Zyl pulled his bakkie
Plenty of support along the road, from food
to friendly chats
Images: Pierre Bassani, Morne Swart
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ISSUE 132 JULY 2020 / www.modernathlete.co.za