Amputee King Nipho inspires unity on his 5,000km journey for disability rights

King Nipho received a hero’s welcome from members of the Association for the Physically Disabled, SPAR Eastern Cape and SUPERSPAR Mount Pleasant on Friday.

A Krugersdorp amputee who has already walked more than 2,000km across South Africa on a single leg is winning hearts across the country as he champions disability inclusion, unity and Ubuntu.

King Nipho, 37, reached a major milestone in his ambitious 5,000km #OneLegWalk campaign when he arrived in Gqeberha on Friday. The journey, which began in Pretoria on May 27, has already taken him through Cape Town and is now heading towards its final destination in Durban.

Nipho says the walk is aimed at encouraging greater support for people living with disabilities while also promoting social cohesion in communities.

“My main mandate is to do something to include people living with disabilities, but there has also been disorder in our communities,” he said.

“When you see this, you must do something. You can’t just sit and look on.

“I said to myself, ‘Let me do something positive to unite the community’, instead of promoting hate.”

Despite the physical demands of the trek, Nipho showed little sign of slowing down as he made his way through the streets of Mount Pleasant, chanting “We’re making history” and “One-leg walk” while blowing a vuvuzela.

The campaign is entirely self-funded and has required significant sacrifice. Nipho revealed that he has spent many nights sleeping at petrol stations during the journey, although support from members of the public has increased as awareness of his mission has spread on social media.

“I’ve been able to partner with B&Bs. They say, ‘Come, let us house you. You are doing a good thing’,” he said.

Amputee King Nipho was a ball of energy when he met members of the Association for the Physically Disabled in Nelson Mandela Bay on Friday. Photo: Full Stop Communications

His arrival in Nelson Mandela Bay prompted a warm welcome from the Association for the Physically Disabled (APD), whose members turned out to support the inspirational walker.

APD chairperson Garth van Niekerk said the organisation only became aware of Nipho’s journey shortly before his arrival.

“Somebody contacted APD and asked if we knew about King walking on this route. We didn’t,” Van Niekerk said.