DJ’s long walk for charity
DETERMINED KwaZuluNatal-born DJ Thulani “DJ Dash” Mzinyane arrived in Durban yesterday, completing his 20-day walk alone from Joburg to Durban to raise funds for his charity, Feed A Child, Feed A Nation.
Despite raising only R150 and being mugged when he entered KZN, Mzinyane said he would do it all over again to raise awareness for the charity.
The 32-year-old said after reaching Pinetown on Friday, he decided to visit his brother in Durban North.
On his way there, at about 5am, he was mugged near the Early Morning Market in the city centre by two men, one of whom had a knife.
The men made off with his camping bag which contained his phone, money, bank cards and clothes.
“After that, I went to my brother’s place and stayed there for the weekend before being taken back to Pinetown to complete the walk from there to Durban,” he said.
The 540km walk began on May 22 and took him 20 days, with pit stops along the way at Vosloorus, Balfour, Standerton, Vrede, Newcastle, Dannhauser, Ladysmith, Colenso, Estcourt, Mooi River and Pietermaritzburg.
It was not until he was walking through Dannhauser, heading for Ladysmith that the Joburg-based DJ was stopped by the police, who warned him about walking on the freeway.
“I kept dodging big trucks on that road. It was scary, but that is just how it is; some roads are not designed for walkers.”
On his journey he saw a dead cheetah and encountered a snake which he avoided by freezing until it slithered away.
He had hoped to raise funds to build a school for needy children in Eshowe and continue his school feeding scheme.
“I’ve always loved helping people and I can’t watch kids suffer, hence I started Feed A Child Feed A Nation.
“There are too many chil- dren suffering in our country and few people are doing something about it. I believe that if we come together, we can make a huge change.”
Since starting his charity in 2012, Mzinyane and donors have donated food to more than 20 schools in KZN and Gauteng.
“We accept both money and foodstuff like beans, sugar, soup, maize meal and tea bags,” he said.
Undeterred by the amount raised and the mugging, he plans to embark on another walk, this time from Joburg to Cape Town, before the end of the year.
“Walking is fun for me and I am trying to do something positive from it.”