Trust set up for Gugu’s girl

LELETHU Zulu may grow up without her father, but the infant’s education has been taken care of – thanks to a trust fund set up by Mercantile Bank.

Celebrated rally driver and television presenter Gugu Zulu passed away suddenly last month after taking ill while climbing Mt Kilimanjaro as part of the Trek4Mandela initiative.

Yesterday, Zulu’s widow Letshego, flanked by her parents-inlaw, said she had been humbled by the support she continued to receive from South Africans.

“It has been a hard month, but I want to thank everyone for having our daughter at heart; thank you very much for the gesture. I just woke up with a renewed sense of energy this morning.”

She said such initiatives served as a reminder that her husband continued to “be with me and looking down at me”.

Zulu’s mother, Puleng Zulu, said the family was “pleasantly surprised” with the news of the trust fund for her grandchild.

“Despite the loss of our son, we still feel the affection and love South Africans had for him,” Puleng said.

Mercantile Bank staff have so far raised R40 000 for the trust and the bank says it’s looking at having fund-raising events to bolster the account.

The bank’s chief executive, Karl Kumbier, said they felt it was necessary to open the trust as access to quality education was a big challenge in South Africa.

“It will be great if the trust can be a success to ensure that Gugu’s child has the future he would have wanted for her.”

Kumbier said the trust would be administered by the bank’s foundation.

Mercantile’s non-executive director, Thebe Ikalafeng, who met Zulu at Kilimanjaro two days before his death, said it was necessary to take care of Gugu’s family as he was a national treasure.

“Everyone who met him felt they had known and loved him forever,” Ikalafeng said. The trust is open to members of the public who wish to contribute.

Name of bank: Mercantile Bank. Account name: Mercantile Bank Foundation – Lelethu Naledi Zulu. Account number: 4000599186. Branch code: 450905.