Trust set up for Gugu’s little 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 died 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 initiatives like this 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 has so far raised R40 000 for the trust and says it is 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 because access to quality education was a big challenge in South Africa.

“It will be great if the trust can be a success so as 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 because he was a national treasure.

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.