Africa-Press – Botswana. Twenty-three years old Miguel Masaisai has embarked on a 6,000 kilometres ride from his hometown of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Cape Town in South Africa in a bid to promote peace and unity in his troubled country.
Speaking in an interview before crossing into South Africa at the Tlokweng border gate on President’s Day Masaisai said coming from a region deeply affected by war and displacement he established the Pedal for Peace initiative and used his bicycle to send a message of peace across Africa and the world.
“With this initiative I want to advocate for peace and inspire other young people all over the continent to fight for peace by non-violent means, we can use our talent to fight for peace, we can dance, we can sing. I used my talent to inspire youth that violence cannot solve the problem,” he said.
Masaisai said his ultimate goal was to reach his destination then go back to his native Congo and create a foundation that would help young people grow with a positive mind-set and mentality that sport and talent could change lives. He said the journey had not been smooth as he entered dangerous terrains sharing the road with extra heavy duty trucks and at times cycling through wildlife parks encountering wild animals.
“Botswana has been the hardest and most exciting part of the route. The journey from Pandamatenga to Nata was gruelling with inclement weather in some parts. I would love to thank the government of Botswana and the Batswana people for their goodwill that kept me riding,” he said.
So far Masaisai has cycled through Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana and on Monday passed through the Tlokweng border gate into South Africa to begin his journey to his final destination. Speaking on the sidelines of a solidarity ride from Riverwalk mall to Tlokweng border director of Youth in the Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs Ambassador Nkoloi Nkoloi said Botswana was proud to show support for a justifiable course such as Masaisai’s.
“We are proud of his efforts, a young man, a Pan-Africanist and a citizen of the soil who cycles for peace and inspire other young generations. You would know that the African continent with its 55 countries has as its one of this pillars the promotion and protection of peace,” he said.
Ambassador Nkoloi said the continent has a lot of youth who were challenged by a lot of circumstances. He said the DRC was part of SADC and that the regional bloc seeks to promote peace as some member states had challenges of unrest and lack of stability.
He said it took the courage of a young man such as Masaisai to inspire others and rise up to change the narrative and cultivate a culture of peace. He added that the initiative aimed to draw attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC while uniting African youth through sport.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
