Pretoria - Businessman and Save Soil ambassador Tseke Nkadimeng and uMkhonto we Sizwe military veteran, Parker Mamabolo, are on a 10 000km journey around South Africa in 250 days.

They embarked on the long journey on July 27. with a mission to raise awareness of the Save Soil initiative.

Their daily walk starts early in the morning and continues until 2pm, with about 40km covered each day.

“At each stop place, after covering approximately 40km, we talk to communities about Save Soil and ask for signatures for a pledge,” Nkadimeng said. “This pledge is for information purposes and we are not taking any financial donation nor soliciting support during our journey. Our sole aim is to inform citizens about the degrading condition of our soil, and Save Soil’s activities, and we ask for support via signing of a petition which will be eventually be submitted to Pretoria.

“We also intend to meet influential leaders including the kings, chiefs and government officials in each region.”

The two walked 90km in the first two days through some of the highest mountain peaks in Mpumalanga, where they spent time with legislators.

Despite the tiring walk, the duo were still in good spirits and highly energetic, remaining totally committed to the cause of saving our soil for future generations.

As they continued to walk, the duo said a number of people showed solidarity and support by joining them on the road.

“Others are making monetary contributions. People who need to support this initiative can follow the Facebook page, Walking to Save Soil.”

On a global level, Nkadimeng said they aimed to inspire at least 3.5 billion people, or 60% of the world’s electorate, to support environmentally conscious governance decisions.

“This will help drive national policy changes toward raising the organic content of soil up to at least 3% to 6%. Organic content is what differentiates arable soil from desert sand,” Nkadimeng said. The initiative, a global movement launched by Indian yoga guru, Sadhguru, aims to address the soil crisis by bringing together people from around the world to stand up for soil health. It is pushing leaders of all nations to institute national policies and actions toward increasing the organic content in cultivable soil.

Nkadimeng and Mambolo’s eight-month walk, which started in Dullstroom, will see them going through to Durban, Bloemfontein via Bethlehem to Middleburg, Queenstown’s, Gqeberha, Knysna, Cape Town, Calvinia, Upington, Khathu, Vryburg, Mafikeng, Thabazimbi, Venda, Tzaneen, Polokwane, Jane Furse, Kempton Park, Johannesburg, and finally Pretoria.

“Part of our plan is to visit the towns and villages and solicit citizen support for the initiative, and to ask citizens to sign a petition of support for the Save Soil movement.”

Nkadimeng said he was inspired by one of the world’s best-known spiritual leaders, Sadhguru, who embarked on a 100-day motorbike journey from London to India to raise awareness of one of nature’s most undervalued resources, riding 30 000km through Europe and the Middle East.

“Our initiative is also inspired by the Freedom Charter movement of 1954-1955, where ordinary citizens signed a petition and support for the ideal Constitution of South Africa which was adopted in 1996. This Constitution was modelled along the Freedom Charter document signed in Kliptown in 1955. Our soil is central to the ideals of the Freedom Charter.”

Pretoria News