10 old ‘ballies’, mostly in their sixties and seventies, have embarked on an extraordinary mission, hopping on their bicycles to cycle 1500km from Mapungubwe to East London to raise funds that will directly support paediatric surgery in the Eastern Cape.
Eastern Cape, South Africa (15 October 2025) – In an extraordinary intergenerational gesture, ten men, mostly in their sixties and seventies, have taken to their bikes for the Heritage Ride, cycling 1,500 km across some of SA’s most perilous roads to raise funds for child surgery.
The Grandad’s Army social cycle club, founded by runners whose knees packed out in 2014, passed the halfway point on Monday, 13 October – marking day eight of their 14-day ride from Mapungubwe to Buffalo City.
Grandads’ Chasing a Debt
The funds raised from the great trek will go to the Eyabantwana for the Children Trust to cover the remaining R300,000 balance of the Flexible Gastroscop purchased earlier this year.
This equipment allows doctors to look inside a child’s digestive tract using a thin, flexible tube with a camera, making it possible to diagnose and treat serious conditions without the need for invasive surgery.
The scope is already at work. It is being used by doctors to diagnose and treat children.
Now it’s up to the “g-dads” – one of many local nicknames bestowed on the child surgery Zealots – to fundraise the remaining cash.
Ballies on the Road
The leader of this outwardly jovial but fundamentally serious cycling outfit, renowned Eastern Cape paediatric surgeon, Prof Colin Lazarus, fell and damaged his knee on the road, while the rest of the peloton suffered heat exhaustion as temperatures soared to 41 degrees Celsius on day one when the mission left Mapungubwe National Park on the northern border last Monday.
The heat has been beating down for days as they climb mountain passes and hammer the pace through the highveld coal belt, the “grandads” came within a hair’s breadth of being mown down by coal truck behemoths which pack the coal corridor roads almost bumper to bumper.
However, “the ballies” continue to ride with endless determination, often shouting: “For the children” as they suffer on the summit of long hills in the heat.
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Only injury or readings from the medical equipment they have brought, along with a defibrillator, keep them off the saddle.
But they have made it to Clarens, and the daily 100km ride is more of a mini victory lap out and around the spectacular tourism town in the Maluti foothills.
The route has taken them through Trichardt, Tzaneen, Phalaborwa, Orpen, Jock of the Bushveld, Barberton, Carolina and now Clarens, covering more than 750 kilometres through some of South Africa’s most demanding terrain.
New riders have joined their ranks in recent days, giving a fresh vibe to the peloton. Civil engineer Sigqibo Sishuba, 42, from Whittlesea, and accountant Siliziwe Mafika, 37, joined on Sunday.
Mafika is the brother of original peloton rider, Buffalo City pathologist Dr Ziphozonke Mafika – the first time the brothers have been on a cycling event together.
“Mom would be proud. Worried, but proud,” said Silizwe.
Dr Mafika said riding with his brother for a common cause was “a privilege”.
The rest of the team include Kimberly paediatrician and East London-born Peter-John Berlyn (73), retired agriculture engineer James “Jimbo” Armstrong (72), air conditioning expert Gerald Berlyn (70), retired headmaster William Hirst (69), retired insurance manager Andrew “Cappie” Langtree (65), plumbing business owner Mac Richardson (56), Pastor Corné Pretorius (54), and farmer Jeremy Berlyn (45).
Why it All Matters
“We are tired, but determined,” said Dr Ziphozonke Mafika, the youngest member of the group.
“When the hills feel endless, I think of the children we are riding for; that is what keeps us pushing forward.”
Cyclist and spiritual motivator Pastor Corné Pretorius said that every day brings new challenges, but every kilometre brings them closer to giving more children a chance at life.
Professor Colin Lazarus said:
“Eyabantwana means ‘for the children’, and that is what this is all about. The journey is long, but its purpose is simple: ensuring that every child in the Eastern Cape has access to the surgical care they deserve.”
Trust spokesperson Trystan Viaene added:
“This ride is about compassion in action. Every kilometre cycled translates into hope for a child who needs specialised surgical care. The riders are demonstrating what it means to turn empathy into impact.”
The riders are supported by a small volunteer team including medical staff, cooks, and coordinators who manage logistics, safety and meals on the road.
On their road south to get home by Sunday, the riders have called on South Africans to show their support by contributing to the campaign and a surgical unit that defies all odds and performs amazing deeds in the Eastern Cape province.
Donations can be made via their GivenGain funding page or directly to Eyabantwana for the Children Trust via the banking details below:
Bank: Nedbank
Branch: Beacon Bay
Account No: 1138181366
Sources: Supplied
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