Ilanga

Impumelelo kaMthembu iyinselelo entsheni

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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.

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