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Madiba sees off 46664 vehicle
15/07/2005 19:05 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The Springbok rugby team joined former president Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg on Friday to see off the 46664 vehicle carrying the national relay torch to be lit on Robben Island.
John Samuel, head of the Nelson Mandela Foundation said: "This is the start of an exciting journey. The celebrations have started for Madiba's birthday."
The torch will be taken to Robben Island and lit in Mandela's prison cell at one minute past midnight on July 18, Mandela's 87th birthday.
Samuel said the torch would take the message of the 46664 HIV awareness campaign across the country and served as a reminder of the need to do much more to protect children and women.
The torch would be transported in a black 4x4 branded with the 46664 logo and with "Mandela's challenge" printed on the sides of the vehicle.
Birthday messages
The torch and the convoy will travel throughout the country collecting Madiba birthday messages and will arrive at Ellis Park Stadium shortly before the kick off of the Mandela Cup rugby match on July 23.
Springbok coach Jake White said Mandela was always actively involved in rugby and the team's participation in the 46664 campaign was an honour.
"Carrying the torch is symbolic to the team. We are here to see the torch off and we will be seeing the torch again when we play Australia. This means a lot to us."
Flanker, Schalk Burger, said he was honoured to be part of the campaign of which the team was just a small part and Mandela was the big, important part.
Branded
Samuel said the branded vehicles and the publicity of the 46664 campaign was in an effort to remind the public of the challenges South Africa faced in fighting HIV/Aids.
He said while the message of leading safe lives was being spread, boxes would be placed in 144 Vodacom stores nation-wide for members of the public to submit a Madiba birthday message.
"We are hoping to collect more than a million messages by July 23 and we request people to monitor the progress of the vehicle," he said.
He added that carrying the relay to the Mandela Cup rugby match would demonstrate the significant role that sport could play in the ongoing challenges of nation building.
- SAPA
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