SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ATHLETES RUN TO RAISE CANCER AWARENESS IN SOWETO RACE

By Sipho Ncube.

• ⁠Athletes from Gauteng’s Department of Social Development regularly take part in events for social causes.
• The team is preparing to take on the Nelson Mandela Walk and Run in Johannesburg on 19 July 2025.
• Recently the athletes took part in a run for cancer awareness through the streets of Soweto.

The Gauteng Department of Social Development’s athletics team is getting ready for its next event – and a highlight of their running calendar – the Nelson Mandela Walk and Run at the Wanders Stadium in Johannesburg.

That event takes place on 19 July 2025, a day after Nelson Mandela International Day, which is held annually on his birthday, 18 July.

The race celebrates the legacy of the late former South African President Nelson Mandela, promoting unity, service, and compassion.

Running for a cause is something that motivates the Gauteng Department of Social Development’s athletics team.

On 21 June 2025 150 members of the team laced up their running shoes and hit the streets of Soweto as part of a cancer awareness drive.

The inspiring race, which featured a 5km fun walk/run, 10km, and 21km distances, brought together runners, walkers, and families to raise awareness and support for the fight against cancer.

Runner Phathutshedzo Lehaha, a community development practitioner from the Johannesburg region, said after the race: “I’m a regular participant who is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle. My mission is to keep fit while reducing my vulnerability to opportunistic infections and diseases.”

Another participant, Anele Cele, a child and youth care worker from the Walter Sisulu Child and Youth Care Centre in Noordgesig, Soweto, shared her experience: “I ran the 10km race, and although it was tough due to the cold and harsh weather, we pushed through and finished strong.”

Cele added: “Since joining the department in 2022, I’ve already taken part in about 20 races. Before that, I never thought I could run, but now I find it therapeutic, fun, and enjoyable.”