First black African woman to summit Mt Everest

Saray Khumalo
Saray Khumalo

Saray Khumalo, a Zambia-born Johannesburg resident, on Thursday morning became the first black African woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, 8,848m.

It was the fourth time lucky for Khumalo, whose previous attempts were thwarted by weather. She abandoned her 2014 attempt after an avalanche killed 16 sherpa. Her 2015 attempt was cut short after a devastating earthquake in Nepal. She reached the mountain’s South Summit in 2017, but strong winds and frostbite scuppered her climb.

“Onwards and upwards,” Summits with a Purpose wrote on its Facebook page.

Editor's Comment
A promising step for public schools, but...

For too long, the state of many public schools has been a source of shame. We have all seen the pictures and heard the stories of broken windows, unreliable water and electricity, topped by classrooms that are not fit for proper learning. The establishment of the Education Infrastructure and Management Company Ltd (EIMC) signals that authorities are finally ready to take this problem seriously. We must commend the government for this initiative....

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