Impumelelo kaMthembu iyinselelo entsheni
ININGIZIMU Afrika izamazamile izolo ngeSonto ngesikhathi uBongumusa Mthembu eqopha umlando ngokuba ngumsubathi wokuqala wakuleli ukuvikela isicoco seComrades Marathon emuva kweminyaka engu-30 lokhu kwagcina ukwenziwa nguBruce "Comrades King" Fordyce ophethe irekhodi lokuwunqoba amahlandla angu-8 kulandelana.
UFordyce unqobe lo mjaho kulandelana kusuka ngo-1981 kuya ku-1988, kwathi ngo-1989 ubhedu lwadliwa nguSam Tshabalala ngaphambi kokuba uFordyce awunqobe okokugcina ngo-1990. Kusuka leli lizwe lithole inkululeko ngo-1994, kuyaqala ngoMthembu ukuba umgijimi owumsinsi wakuleli anqobe lo mjaho iminyaka ilandelana.
Ngonyaka ka-2009 kuya ku-2011 lo mjaho unqotshwe nguStephen Muzhingi waseZimbabwe, nokho osedonsa kanzima muva nje ukuqeda nabangu-10 bokuqala ukufika entanjeni. UMthembu uqale ukudla ubhedu lwalo mjaho ngo-2014 kubhekwe eThekwini, wawuphinda nyakenye kubhekwe eMgungundlovu njengoba egile izimanga enqoba owanonyaka. Lo mgijimi odabuka eBulwer ngase-Underberg, uzakhele igama ngokuba wumgijimi wokuqala emlandweni ukushaya intambo eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini. Bekuqala ukuba lo mjaho uqedwe kule nkundla kwazise abeComrades basayine inkontileka yeminyaka emithathu nabaphathi beMoses Mabhida Stadium.
Phambilini lo mjaho ubuphelela eKingsmead Cricket Stadium eqhele ngamakhilomitha ambalwa eMoses Mabhida. Okucacile wukuthi ukuba lo mjaho ubuphelela eKingsmead njengaphambilini, uMthembu ubezolephula kalula irekhodi lawo uma kubhekwe eThekwini lika-5:18:19 elibekwe nguDavid Gatebe ngo-2016. UMthembu unqobe lo mjaho ngesikhathi sika-5:26:35 kanti ubevule igebe lemizuzu engu-10 kuJoseph Mphuthi wakuleli ongene isibili ngesikhathi sika5:35:14.
Okunye okujabulisile ngomjaho wayizolo wukuthi babe ngu-7 abagijimi bakuleli besilisa abangene kwabokuqala abangu-10. Kubatshazwa impumelelo kaMthembu nje, sikushayela elikhulu ihlombe nokunqoba kuka-Ann Ashworth wakuleli odle ubhedu esigabeni sabesifazane. Ubebekwe ezithendeni nguGerda Steyn wakuleli. Lokhu kuyinkomba esobala yokuthi ikusasa labagijimi bakuleli liqhakazile njengoba benza kahle emijahweni ehlonishwa umhlaba wonke.
Nakuba kujabulisa ukubona abasubathi bakuleli benza kahle kulo mjaho, kodwa sikholwa wukuthi iComrades Marathon Association (CMA) engabagqugquzeli balo mjaho, kumele iyifakele izibuko eyezikhalo zabagijimi ngemihlomulo yokunqoba lo mjaho. Abasubathi bakhala ngokuthi basebenzisa imali ebalelwa ku-R50 000 ukuwulungiselela. Bathi bakholwa wukuthi uR1 million uzifanele izingqwele kubo bobubili ubulili. Njengamanje izingqwele zithola uR440 000 kubo bobubili ubulili ngokwahlukana.
Lesi sikhalo siqale sazwakaliswa nguXolani Mabhida ongumqeqeshi kaMthembu kulona leli phephandaba ngaphambi kokuba senziwe nguGift Kelehe esigcawini sabezindaba ebesikwelinye lamahhotela agudle ulwandle eThekwini ngoLwesihlanu olwandulele lo mjaho obungenelwe ngabagijimi ababalelwa ngaphezulu kuka-20 000.
Esikhathini lapho iNingizimu Afrika intula amathuba emisebenzi, ukusebenzisa ikhono ngenye yezinto okufanele igqugquzelwe entsheni ukuze ikwazi ukuziphilisa. Kakumele igxile ezidakamizweni nasezintweni ezingeke ziyiyise phambili, kodwa kufanele ibukele kubantu abafana noMthembu osephenduke isilomo ngenxa yekhono alinakekela okwezikhali zamaNtungwa njengoba ezila okuningi nxa esuke ezicijela lo mjaho.