Esona

Tweeps are calling on Baleka Mbete and Nathi Mthethwa to assist Esona Sekeleni with her trip to represent SA in Portugal. Image via Twitter @esonasekeleni

‘R35k for food?’: Tweeps call on mam’ Baleka to help Esona get to Portugal

Esona’s plea for donations to travel to Portugal to represent SA at the World Biathle Championships has been met with lots of criticism.

Esona

Tweeps are calling on Baleka Mbete and Nathi Mthethwa to assist Esona Sekeleni with her trip to represent SA in Portugal. Image via Twitter @esonasekeleni

South Africans on Twitter are calling on Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa, as well as former speaker of parliament Baleka Mbete to assist a young girl named Esona Sipho Esihle Sekeleni from East London, Eastern Cape.

The 10-year-old girl’s dreams of representing South Africa in the World Biathle Championships in Portugal in October are dependent on the donations made by the citizens. However, the list of needs that her mother Sandisiwe Sekeleni made is raising lots of eyebrows.

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ESONA NEEDS HELP TO REPRESENT SA IN PORTUGAL

According to Esona’s Twitter page on Wednesday 3 August, she has been selected to represent team South Africa in the World Biathle Championships in Machico, Madeira Island, Portugal.

Esona is a biathlete and swimmer and getting to Portugal is going to cost her quite a bit.

The young swimmer and her mother are pleading for donations for flights to Portugal, visas, local accommodation and flights to apply for their visas.

They will also need money for Esona’s kit, registration for her race, petty cash, food, entertainment and transport when in Portugal. In total, the cost amounts to R189 000.

ESONA’S ACCOLADES

According to her crowdfunding page on Candy Stick, Esona fell in love with biathlon — a strength-intensive sport that involves swimming and running — early in her childhood.

“Esona started competing again in January 2022 where she was invited to attend the Border Biathlon trials and February 2022 started competing in Biathle races. Each and every time Esona attended races both in Biathlon and Biathle she improved tremendously,” the page reads.

In January 2022, Esona started competing again at the Border Biathlon trials and February 2022 started competing in Biathle races. In April 2022 she represented Border Biathlon in Gqeberha for SA Championships and later obtained 1st place in her age group at the Eastern Cape trials. On 28 May 2022 Esona represented the Eastern Cape at the SA Biathle Champions in Stellenbosch, making it to the team that will represent SA in Portugal.

Currently, 11% of the money she needs for her trip has been raised. Contrary to the post doing the rounds on social media, her Candy Stick page says she needs R120 000, not R189 000.

TWEEPS CALL ON NATHI MTHETHWA & BALEKA MBETE

On Twitter, however, netizens were gobsmacked when they saw how much Esona and her mother will need. While some trolls said she should stay at home, others wanted Baleka Mbete to come to her aid the same way she did for her niece and actress Natasha Thahane when she was awarded a scholarship to study acting at the New York Film Academy.

Others also called upon Nathi Mthethwa to help as his department is expected to assist athletes and creatives.

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