south african number one racer Gugu Zulu dies while climbing the biggest mountain Kilimanjaro in cape town for Madiba.

Cape Town - Esteemed South African Rally driver
Gugu Zulu passed away after developing breathing
problems while attempting to summit Mount
Kilimanjaro.
Zulu was climbing the mountain for the Nelson
Mandela Foundation.
Decorated sportsman
Sello Hatang, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation
said, that he is "devastated" and felt a huge "sense of
loss.”
Zulu and his wife Letshego were part of the
Trek4Mandela expedition. The climbers were due to
summit Kilimanjaro for Mandela Day.
The 2016 Trek4Mandela expedition aims to raise
funds to ensure that 350 000 female children will not
miss a day of school due to menstrual issues.
Gallery: Gugu Zulu
Statement from Nelson Mandela Foundation: "It is
with a heavy heart that we announce that one of the
climbers on the Trek4Mandela, Gugu Zulu lost his life
early this morning in his attempt to summit
Kilimanjaro.
"On behalf of the Board and staff of the Nelson
Mandela Foundation we extend our sincere
condolences to his wife Letshego Zulu, their daughter
Lelethu and the Zulu family on this tragic loss.
"Details are sketchy. What we do know is that Gugu
experienced problems breathing. The medical team
supporting the trek put him on a drip and they
descended the mountain with him. We are informed
that the medical teams tried everything possible to
save his life.
Gugu was climbing Kilimanjaro with his wife
Letshego and we understand that they both
descended the mountain together with Richard
Mabaso, the project leader and the medical teams.
The team was led by experienced mountaineer,
Sibusiso Vilane."
Volkswagen SA's Communictions general manager
Matt Gennrich says: "We are absolutely gutted and
shocked. We've known Gugu for ever and he has
been racing for us for years, especially with the new
GTC series he was going to race as well. We feel for
his family, and we're deeply saddened."
Gugu Zulu profile:
- Born May 13, 1978
- VW, Audi, BMW driving instructor
- Began racing in 1999, after graduating from Isondo
Racing Academy
- Won Vodacom Isondo Sports 2000 national
championship, winning 13/16 races with two second
places
- In 2001 Sarel van der Merwe took him under his
wing and gave him the second seat in the inaugaural
Sasol Steam Team
- In 2001 he also won the Guinness Achievement
Award and Wesbank and Goodyear Star of Tomorrow
awards.
- In 2002 his lap times matched those of Sarel van der
Merwe
- In 2003 he joined the SA national rally
championship, losing the the championship race by
one point
- In 2004 he raced overseas in the Skip Barber Dodge
Racing Series
- In July 2005 he joined the now-defunct Car Torque
presenting team
- In August 2007 he was appointed as the commercial
manager for the South African A1 team
- Affectionately known as “the fastest brother in
Africa”