29 Jun 2022

A team of female cyclists from Botswana and South Africa dubbed Bafazi Cycling Movement will, on Saturday, ride for charity. 

The group met last year on a cycling App Zwift and have formed a team that rides for charitable activities.    

Bafazi Cycling Movement use Zwift to train in the comfort of their homes.  

The movement came to being through South African cyclist, Ria Mathopa and Botswana based cyclist and triathlete, Sharon Mahube-Sebeo.

 Mathopa messaged Mahube-Sebeo to go on a virtual cycle together, a trait they later extended to female cyclists in both countries. 

As soon as the lockdown was lifted, the women met and cycled together. 

Their first cycle tour was in Gaborone in 2021 where they cycled from Gaborone to Mosaditshwene and back.  

They did not only pedal their bikes, but engaged in various ways to grow a female cycling community. 

This year, the women cyclists will ride from Avani Hotel in Gaborone to Mankgodi and back. However, they have invited their male counterparts.

“We agreetour event,and this year the tour will be in two parts of donation ride and a high tea in the afternoon,” said the Botswana Bafazi Cycling Movement leader, Mahube-Sebeo. 

She said Mankgodi will witness the results of a blossoming sisterhood that evolved from a virtual cycling solidarity during lockdowns.

Mahube-Sebeo noted that they will hand stationery to Letlole Primary School.     

This will be the movement’s first corporate social initiative and Mahube-Sebeo said they will have ladies’ cycling conversations in the afternoon at Avani Hotel. 

“The high tea will be a great afternoon of learning, networking and giving. We will have speakers from both movements who are mothers, wives, businesswomen, community leaders who do not only cycle but take part in big international sporting events as well as fitness and wellness events around the world,” said Mahube-Sebeo. 

Speakers of the high tea event include South Africa’s Letshego Zulu and Caroline Matsimela.  

Botswana Cycling Association (BCA) president, Kagiso Potongwane, appreciated this initiative. 

Potongwane said although BCA did not have any policy geared towards encouraging the girl child into cycling, ‘we will look into having something along those lines going forward.’

Registration cost P150 and can be done through bafazi.com/signup link or contact with Seneo on 77030524 or Chibo on 73488319. Ends