Cape Town – Explorer, philanthropist and all round colourful character, Kingsley Holgate, has expressed his shame over the recent spate of xenophobic attacks that broke out across South Africa earlier this week.
In a post on their Facebook page, the Kingsley Holgate Foundation said that on their many humanitarian and geographic expeditions into Africa, they had received ‘much in the way of kindness and hospitality’ in neighbouring countries.
“The continued senseless killing, violence and lawless looting of the last few days makes us ashamed and on behalf of the vast majority of peace loving South Africans, I’d like to send condolences to those who have lost loved ones and to say ‘Ndikupepesa’ – we are TRULY SORRY!!” the post read.
Making the message even more personal, the post was accompanied by a photograph of Holgate and a man named, Mohammed Moyale, a money changer who had recently helped them cross the border into Ethiopia.
Moyale chatted to them in broken Zulu, telling them that he had done business in South Africa, but that xenophobia and the related death of his brother had chased him back to his home country.
“But he still helped us and made us welcome in Ethiopia ‘Here you are safe..welcome to Ethiopia.'”
While he has undertaken a variety of incredible adventures on the African continent, Holgate’s most famous feat thus far is the 448-day ‘Outside Edge’ journey, a geographic and humanitarian expedition to trace the outline of the African continent and raise awareness about Malaria prevention.