Maties ride Cape Town Cycle Tour for students in financial need
Around 80 Maties – the highest number yet - will don maroon on Sunday 9 March to ride the iconic Cape Town Cycle Tour (CTCT) for students in need.
Students, staff and alumni will tackle the gruelling race in groups or as individuals to raise funds for Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) students who may not have access to the funding they need to study, or those who are struggling with food insecurity because of their financial situation. “Seeing so many Maties, from students to staff, alumni and supporters, come together for a cause bigger than themselves is truly inspiring," says Karen Bruns, Senior Director: Development & Alumni Relations at SU.
Among those pedalling for a cause is SU Council member and alumna Dr Louise van Rhyn, who will be cycling her 10th tour, but her first in Maties kit. “I am specifically cycling for #Action4Inclusion because I want to raise funds for this very important initiative." This initiative, launched in 2020 as a collaborative endeavour by the Student Representative Council; the 肆客足球's inaugural director of the then newly established Centre for Social Justice, Prof Thuli Madonsela; the former dean of the SU Faculty of Law, Prof Sonia Human; and other social justice ambassadors, falls under the 肆客足球's Bridge the Gap Annual Fund.
Funds raised via #Action4Inclusion help support students who cannot register for the next academic year because they have outstanding fees. “I am deeply inspired by Dr Van Rhyn's resolve to cycle in aid of #Action4Inclusion. This is yet another extraordinary gesture by Dr Van Rhyn towards ensuring that we stop student debt from stealing dreams of young people," says Madonsela.
Van Rhyn says she is looking forward to what will be her tenth CTCT. “I am cycling the tour because I can. I love cycling and I feel so privileged to be able to cycle at 60." She has the full support of the Centre for Social Justice, with Madonsela saying she has no doubt that Van Rhyn will cycle successfully.
Another seasoned cyclist tackling the race this year is first-year chemistry lecturer Dr Marietjie Lutz. No stranger to fundraising endeavours, Lutz spent the Easter weekend last year cycling 600 kms from George to Stellenbosch to raise funds for undergraduate BSc students facing financial challenges. Her “Wheels of Opportunity" initiative raised more R76 000.
Having joined her for last year's challenge, the whole Lutz family will once again ride together on what will be their first CTCT. Lutz will be joined by her husband, Dani?l, her eldest son, Ben ( Industrial Engineering at SU), her second son, Jan (BCom Management Sciences at SU), her daughter Isabel, in Grade 11 at Bloemhof and the youngest, Dani?l, who is in Grade 8 at Paul Roos Gymnasium, They will do the tour on their mountain bikes in support of #Move4Maties.
“We will be supporting the Move4Maties campaign as part of the run up to our Wheels of Opportunity 2025 (WOOP 2025) campaign (600 km over six days from George to Stellenbosch, taking place from 30 March to 4 April)," explains Lutz. “With the CTCT, we aim to create awareness and amplify the impact of Move4Maties. However, our primary fundraising efforts will focus on WOOP 2025, where we strive to raise R100 000 to support bright, deserving undergraduate science students facing financial challenges." She adds: “We cannot sit still while talented students struggle for the financial support they need to achieve academic success and build a better future."
This year, the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) team (Danilo Silva, Monika Moir, Marije Hofstra and friends) will cycle as part of the #Move4Maties fundraising campaign. The group says: “At CERI, we are deeply committed to building a better future through science, education and community engagement. Supporting #Move4Maties aligns with our mission to drive meaningful change. By taking part in this initiative, we aim to raise awareness and critical funds to ensure that no student at SU is forced to abandon their education due to financial hardships." Team CERI has already raised over R10 000.
Prof Sadulla Karjiker (head of the Department of Mercantile Lawand IP Chair), Christine Strauss (lecturer), Shomane Mathiba (alumnus) and Thushani Naidoo (second-year BCom Law student) of the Law Faculty's team have already raised more than R11 000 ahead of Sunday's race.
The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) has chosen the CTCT to kick off its year-long fundraising effort to commemorate its centenary celebrations. The EMS100 team riding to raise funds for the #Move4Food initiative comprises Jaco Franken (Dean's Office); Prof Mesias Alfeus and Denver Loggenberg (Statistics and Actuarial Science); and Prof Gretha Steenkamp, Remerta Basson and Arthur Bishop (School of Accountancy). The team has already raised more than R6 200.
Steenkamp explains the motivation for their entry: “Food insecurity is a reality for many South African university students, with a considerable number struggling to access adequate and nutritious meals. This impacts their academic performance, mental health and overall well-being." While teammate and associate professor Alfeus has cycled the CTCT route a few times, this is the first time he will race it as an official entrant and riding it for #Move4Maties makes it even more meaningful, he says. “It's a chance to contribute to a cause that supports students in need. It's more than just a race; it's about making a difference while doing something I love."
The top student fundraiser currently is Lars Penzhorn, a third-year BCom Actuarial Science student in the EMS Faculty. He says although he has done a few other century (100 km) races, this will be his first CTCT. Penzhorn is raising funds for the #CaughtInTheMiddle initiative, a cause that he says lies close to his heart. He has already surpassed his R10 000 fundraising target by raising just over R12 300 at the time of writing.
“These (missing middle) students are from households that do not fall (qualify) for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), and they are struggling to pay their fees," he explains. “In Rustenburg in the North West, where I am from, many of my classmates fell into this category and could not go on to study because of their financial difficulties. If I can make an impact on these students, however small, I would be incredibly grateful."
William Sezoe, a former Student Representative Council vice-chair and now a multimedia journalist with SU's Corporate Communication and Marketing Division will be riding again for #Move4Food. He first rode the race for a cause in 2023 when Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers threw down the challenge. "When I asked him about what SU is doing for student hunger, De Villiers replied: 'I cycle to raise fundsm what are you doing?'". Since then, Sezoe has also put foot to the pedal to raise funds and awareness.
Bruns commended all those taking part in Sunday's race. “The Cape Town Cycle Tour is more than just a race; it's a demonstration of the Maties spirit in action – perseverance, generosity, empathy and a deep commitment to ensuring that financial hardship doesn't stand in the way of academic success. Every kilometre ridden and every rand raised is a step towards a brighter future for our students. We are deeply grateful to everyone who is riding and supporting #Move4Maties and #Action4Inclusion."
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