As Women’s Day got underway on August 9, organisers of a community fun walk in Alexandra used the occasion to emphasise the need for women to prioritise fitness and health to protect themselves against chronic illnesses.

Scores of women and supportive men turned out for the fun walk, which started at KwaDlozi carwash, better known as The Dip, and wound through parts of Sandton before returning to Alexandra.

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Organiser Sibongile Tshabalala said the walk was about marking Women’s Day, but beyond that, it was a call for women to take their health seriously. “I would like for women to take care of their bodies. They will age very nicely.”

She said the walk ties into an ongoing initiative. She and her team host aerobics sessions six days a week, from Monday to Saturday, between 07:00 and 08:00 in the morning, aimed at getting more women in the community active.

Co-organiser Sibusiso Radebe said the initiative also has a harm-reduction angle. Because their work mostly involves alcohol, he said, their main aim is to promote healthier lifestyles and help people strike a balance between drinking and exercising.

The health message resonated with residents. One participant, Londiwe Lebeloane, said she wanted to start the morning on an energetic note. “I just thought, ‘Let me do something in the morning just to wake me up’.” She added that the walk marked the beginning of her own National Women’s Day celebrations.

Emma Maredi, a frequent hiker, said she joined the walk after spotting the announcement on social media. “When I saw this, I thought, ‘What a chance’. We haven’t hiked in a while, so I better join this walk.”
After roughly 7km of walking, from Alexandra into parts of Sandton, Maredi’s daughter, Phillipine Maredi, still had energy to spare. “It is good. I wish we could go to Alex Mall and come back.”

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Phillipine had a message of her own for women marking the day. “Fight for yourself. Let’s be a rock. I don’t believe in the adage that a woman holds a knife by the blade, the blade is sharp. So, just take care of yourselves, queens out there.”

Gordon Bokaba, who said he regularly participates in wellness and fitness initiatives, also woke up early to join the women on the walk. “I am a person who is used to fitness activities. I do aerobics. I have been running for a long time, since I was still at school. So, this time I felt I should wake up and come show my support.”

Bokaba added his own message to women, encouraging them to keep holding their ground, and said men would continue to stand by them through whatever they face.

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