Harry, Meghan make pitch for mental health on S African tour

CAPE TOWN: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan on Tuesday gave a royal boost to South African surfers harnessing the power of the waves to promote mental health in poor communities.

Help through sport, an issue famously close to the prince´s heart, marked the second day of their tour of southern Africa, the first official trip by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since becoming parents to baby Archie in May.

Buffeted by high winds, the couple chatted to members of an NGO called Waves for Change, which uses surfing to help stressed youngsters in Cape Town´s slums find positive thinking and calm.

"Nelson Mandela once said that sport has the power to change the world," said Thembaletu Mani, 24, one of the mentors who greeted the couple at Monwabisi Beach. "So that´s what we do here, conquer the challenges through sport."

Eighty-year-old Wendy Perks and her daughters Jenny and Carol were among those who braved the winds to await the British royals. Wearing masks of the face of Harry´s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, each had a camping chair adorned with a string of small British flags.

"We are the biggest royal fans in the world. We´ve been to Kate and William´s wedding, we´ve been to Meghan and Harry´s wedding, the Queen´s jubilee and the Queen´s 90th birthday," Jenny Perks told AFP. "We grew up with Princess Diana, so we just love her boys. She was the people´s princess. We love all the pomp and ceremony. Proudly royal and proudly British, and South African."

She added: "We´re guessing Meghan will have a pony tail and jeans because it´s far too windy for a dress." The charity is one of four organisations chosen by the Sussexes to benefit from donations made by the public when Archie was born. Surfing-clad volunteers then invited the royal couple to join them in a dance, followed by a brief session of meditation, seated in a circle on the beach.

They visited the Auwal Masjid, South Africa´s oldest mosque which was established in 1794 in the area, earlier known as the Cape Malay district. "We welcomed the royal couple into the home of a family that has been staying here for many generations. We wanted them to meet an ordinary Bo-Kaap family and get a feel for the tradition of the area and of course taste our food. We are happy that they came because it creates awareness. It will attract more tourists which we welcome," said Osmand Shaboodien.