Provincial Big Walk commemorated in Esikhaleni

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KwaZulu-Natal joined the rest of the country in taking part in the annual Big Walk activities on Sunday, 01 October, to encourage citizens to adopt active and healthy lifestyles.

The main Provincial Big Walk organised by the KZN Department of Sport and Recreation, took place at Esikhaleni township near Richards Bay on the Province’s north coast. Other events were held in different districts around the Province.

Hundreds of people mainly from the King Cetshwayo District participated in the 5 and 10 km walks, which started and finished at the local Umfolozi Tvet College, formerly known as Esikhawini College. Other activities included aerobics and other family games.

Internationally, the month of October was declared walking month across the world to encourage active recreation. The National Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) has programmes throughout the month of October with the Annual Big Walk being one of the highlights.

The Big Walk is followed by National Recreation Day, which is held on the first Friday of October each year, as declared by National Cabinet in December 2014.

In January this year, MEC for Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation, Bongi Sithole-Moloi, launched the Active Fridays programme to encourage KZN citizens to dedicate time to exercise their bodies through activities like walking and aerobics, and to eat healthy food in order to minimise preventable opportunistic diseases.

According to SRSA, the main objectives of Big Walks are as follows:

  • To promote healthy lifestyle and physical activity
  • To promote social cohesion
  • Cooperation between departments and all other institutions and stakeholders
  • Provide opportunity for social contact and development

Meanwhile, this year the National Recreation Day in the Province will be hosted at Endishini Sports Grounds, Mbali Township, Pietermaritzburg from 08h00 on Friday, 6 October. Activities will include a 5km walk, aerobics, 5-a-side soccer, touch rugby, indigenous games and other family activities. The event is open to the public.

Vision

A healthy, winning, and socially cohesive province through sport and recreation.

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