‘IComrades izonqotshwa ngomnyama’
INGWAZI yomgijimi yaseNingizimu Afrika, uWillie Mtolo, ibona uzoqhubeka umgqigqo omuhle wokwenza kahle kwabasubathi abamnyama kwiComrades Marathon.
UMtolo, owaduma ngo-1994 ngesikhathi ekhala emuka nesicoco seNew York Marathon, utshele leli phephandaba ukuthi ubona abasubathi baseNingizimu Afrika bezoqhubeka nokuzidlela amahlanga kulo mjaho.
Kulokhu usuka eMgungundlovu ubheke eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini.
Kusukela ngo-2012 kuze kube yimanje abagijimi bakuleli yibona abakhonyayo kulo mjaho.
Ngonyaka odlule uBongmusa Mthembu nguyena obe ngumpetha.
Ngaphambi kwakhe lo mjaho unqotshwe nguDavid Gatebe, Gift Kelehe, uyena uMthembu, Claude Moshiywa noLudwick Mamabolo.
Umgijimi wangaphandle owagcina ukunqoba iComrades kwaba nguStephen Muzhingi waseZimbabwe owadla ubhedu ngo-2011.
“Mina ngithipha uBongmusa Mthembu noDavid Gatebe. Angingabazi ukuthi nakanjani nakulo nyaka iComrades izonqotshwa ngomunye umgijimi wakuleli omnyama. Njengoba umjaho usuphela eMoses Mabhida uzoba khona umehluko. Phela ukusuka lapha eKingsmead ubheke eMabhida ngamakhilomitha amabili nohhafu. Indawo yakhona iqondile. Ngaleyo ndlela angiboni ukuthi kukhona ozophula irekhodi. Izikhathi abazozigijima ngeke zisheshe ngenxa yokwanda kwamakhilomitha,” kusho uMtolo obehambele umcimbi obizwa ngePre Comrades Ladies Extravaganza eKingsmead ngoMgqibelo ntambama.
Phambilini iComrades ibinqotshwa ngabasubathi abaqhamuka phesheya kwezilwandle okubalwa kubona uLeonid Shvetsov noVladimir Kotov.
“Phambilini into ebishaya abagijimi abamnyama wukuzethemba. Ukwenza kahle kwabagijimi abamnyama kule minyaka eyedlule sekwenze nabanye babona ukuthi iComrades iyawineka. Okunye obekubulala abagijimi wukuthi bebegijima inqwaba yemijaho ngaphambi kweComrades. Bekuphuthunywa imali phambili. Ngenxa yayo futhi imali ubuthola ukuthi abagijimi bajaha ukuyogijima iComrades iminyaka yabo ingakavumi. Izona zonke izinto ebezisilimaza,” kusho uMtolo. IComrades izokuba ngoJuni 10. “Abantu abaningi baqala ukuzicijela iComrades Marathon ngoDisemba. Kumele uyiqaphele imijaho okhula kuyona. Kumqoka ukuthi ungagijimi yonke imiqhudelwano ekhona ngoba lokho kwenza ukuthi kuqambe kufika iComrades usukhathele. Abagijimi abaningi abebegijima iTwo Oceans basethubeni elihle lokwenza kahle kwiComrades Marathon,” kusho uMtolo.