By Kefiloe Kajane
Fears of a second wave of deadly COVID-19 infections, have led to the postponement of this year’s edition of the Roof of Africa race dubbed the “Mother of Hard Enduro”.
The 53rd edition of the Roof of Africa has been postponed to next year.
The postponement comes after a meeting between the organisers, the Lesotho government and the Lesotho Sports and Recreation Commission (LSRC).
Live Lesotho, the organisers of the race, said they had been advised that Lesotho will remain under level 3 of the lockdown indefinitely.
“This decision is based on the concerns surrounding a possible second wave of COVID-19 infections,” said Charan Moore, Managing Director of Live Lesotho.
“We are aware of how disappointing this news will be to riders and their teams, but unfortunately the current situation has not stabilised enough and there is simply too much uncertainty surrounding the pandemic at present.
“We owe it to everyone involved, and especially the people of our host country, Lesotho, to ensure that the Motul Roof of Africa does not present any additional COVID-19 risks.
“Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that in the current circumstances.”
The title sponsor, Motul, said it fully supports the postponement of the Roof of Africa race until next year.
It is hoped that next year there will be a much greater degree of certainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and precautions required to contain it.
Moore thanked the sponsors, riders, LSRC, LORA, and Live Lesotho team members for their support and for the hard work that has already been invested.
He committed to channeling this collective positive energy into making the 2021 Motul Roof of Africa the best yet.
Live Lesotho further announced that all riders who had secured and paid for a place in the 2020 event can carry this forward to the 2021 edition at no additional cost.
Alternatively, riders can opt for a full refund.
The confirmed dates for next year’s event will be 3 – 6 November 2021.
