UKHALE NGEZINKINGA ONQOBE I-COMRADES
IZINKINGA zaseceleni zicishe zamkhiphela ngaphandle uBongumusa Mthembu waseBulwer kwiComrades Marathon ayivikele ngempumelelo izolo ngeSonto eshaya intambo ngo-5:26:34 kulo mjaho oqale eMgungundlovu wasongwa eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini.
UMthembu uthi uke wacabanga ukuthi ngeke abe yingxenye yalo mjaho ngenxa yezinkinga eziseceleni. Nokho akathandanga ukwanda kabanzi ngezinkinga abebhekene nazo, kodwa ukugcizelele ukuthi ubengalimele.
Lo msubathi, obeyinqoba okwesithathu iComrades, uthe umjaho wanonyaka ubushesha kakhulu, okwenze waba ngomunye wenzima kwaseke wayigijima.
“Umuntu ebengimbheke kakhulu emzileni nguDavid Gatebe ngoba unesivinini esikhulu. Nokho-ke ngesikhathi sekubhekwe ePinetown, ngibonile ukuthi ngingakwazi ukunqoba.
“Ozakwethu besixoxa nabo emzileni kuhlekwa futhi sisizana nangamanzi. Okuhle ngami wukuthi bengizithela ngawo amanzi kanti bona bebewaphuza,” kusho uMthembu.
Uthi ukholwa wukuthi ubezokwazi ukuphula irekhodi lalo mjaho ukuba ubuphelela eKingsmead Cricket Stadium njengoba ubuqala ukuphelela eMabhida.
AbeComrades basayine isivumelwano seminyaka emithathu neMabhida ukuba lo mjaho uphelele khona.
UMthembu uthi kumthinte kakhulu emoyeni ukushaya intambo phambi komndeni wakhe, abengazi ukuthi ukhona enkundleni ukuyomeseka.
Lo msubathi besekuphele izinyanga ezintathu awugcina umndeni wakhe njengoba ebematasa eziqeqeshela lo mjaho.
Kwabesifazane ubhedu ludliwe ngu-Ann Ashworth weMassmart Athletics Club, kwathi uGerda Steyn weNedbank, wangena isibili kanti u-Alexandra Morozava uthathe indawo yesithathu.
Ephawula ngempumelelo kaBongumusa, uThamsanqa Mthembu ongumfowabo omncane, uthe: “Sijabule kakhulu siwumndeni wakwaMthembu ngempumelelo kaBongumusa. Besivele sikulindele ukunqoba ngoba besazi ukuthi ngeke asidumaze.
“Umama wethu ubekhona enkundleni ezozibonela uBongumusa eshaya intambo. Usheshe wagoduka ngenhloso yokuyohlela okuthile kokujabulela le mpumelelo ekhaya,” kusho uThamsanqa obehamba namanye amalungu omndeni.