Washaya intambo uTshabalala kwaphambana imizwa ezweni
Akekho owayemnika ithuba lokunqoba iComrades Marathon kwazise kweyokuqala ngowe-1987 wayephume emuva
Nakuba sekuphele iminyaka engama-31 uMnu uMowele Samuel Tshabalala aqopha umlando ngokuba owokuqala woHlanga ukunqoba iComrades Marathon kodwa kungathi yinto yayizolo uma ekuthatha ekubeka ngokwenzeka ngaphambi komjaho nangesikhathi eseshaya intambo phambi kwezihlwele zabelungu ezazigcwele phama eKingsmead Cricket Stadium, eThekwini, mhla zingama-31 kuNhlaba ngowe-1989.
Leli qhawe elaliqeqeshwa uMane Saayman ngaphansi kwekilabhu iSpectrum AC, lashaya intambo ngesikhathi esiyi-5:35:51 kwathi kwabesimame kwanqoba uFrith van der Merwe ngesiyi-5:54:43.
Ngaphandle kokuqopha umlando wokuba owokuqala woHlanga ukunqoba leli gugu lo mjaho owasungulwa ngowe-1921, uTshabalala onezingane eziyisi-8 uthi ziningi izinto ezimenza akhumbule cishe konke okwenzeka ngaphambi komjaho nangosuku lwawo uqobo.
“Okunye okwangijabulisa kakhulu ukuthi ngaphazamisa irekhodi likaBruce Fordyce owayesenqobe iComrades Marathon amahlandla ayisi-8 kulandelana. Ngakwenza lokhu ekubeni umjaho wangowe-1989 kwakungowesithathu. Akekho owayenginika ithuba lokuwunqoba kwazise kowokuqala wangowe-1987 ngaphuma endaweni yama-66 kwathi kowangowe-1988 ngaba kweye-12. Kwakubhekwe kakhulu izinyamazane ezifana noWillie Mtolo owahlala isikhathi eside phambili nowathi sengimdlula wangigqugquzela ukuyoshaya intambo kwazise yena wayesephelelwe amandla. Omunye owayethwelwe ngeqoma uShaun Meiklejon owayebuya phesheya nowagcina eyinqobe ngowe-1995 iComrades. Naye ngamshiya ngamncamisa,” kubeka uTshabalala othe ukusubatha amabanga amade wakufundiswa ukufunda emapulazini ayekude nasekhaya.
Mayelana nalabo abathi wanqoba ngoba uFordyce wayengekho uthe: “Ababesho lokhu ngabelungu ababephatheke kabi ngokunqoba kwami. Babedlala umona nje. Kule minyaka emibili ngaphambi kokunqoba kowesithathu uFordyce ngasengimfunde ngamqeda. Wayeqine kakhulu emqondweni futhi ebekezela. Ngakolunye uhlangothi mina ngangikuphethe konke. Ubufakazi bokuba ngcono kunaye ngaqale ngabuveza ngasekuqaleni konyaka we-1989 kuMilo Korkie eyayisuka ePitoli ibheke eGermiston. Ngamshiya wancama, ngaphinde ngawunqoba lo mjaho. Ngaphandle nje kwalokhu sasingabangani abakhulu njengoba ngangiphinde ngimvakashele kwakhe eGoli, sinikane amaqhinga okugijima.”
UTshabalala olibeka ngembaba elokuthi uFordyce akezanga kuComrades yangowe-1989 ngoba angenwa amanzi emadolweni uthe babewulungiselele kahle umjaho. Ekuseni wayegijima amakhilomitha amahlanu bese kuthi ntambama agijime ezintabeni amakhilomitha angama-42 kuya kwangama-50. Uthe wayedla ukudla kwesintu.
Ngokunqoba kulo mjaho leli qhawe labuyela kwelakubo eFree State lithole unyanyavu lwemoto kwazise imiklomelo kwakuyikhumbi nesamba sezi-R30 000 kanye nezinyanga eziyisithupha lidla esitolo esidayisa inkukhu echochobalisiwe iKentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) nokho layinqaba le moto, lacela ukwakhelwa indlu. “Yayingeke ingisize ngalutho, empeleni ngangingenazo nezincwadi zokushayela. Ngacela abahleli bomjaho ukuba bangakhele indlu esikhundleni semoto. Kabangihluphanga njengoba ngowe-1990 bangakhela enamagumbi ayisi-8 elokishini laseZamdela, eSasolburg, eFree State. Ngiyazibonga ngokuthatha isinqumo esihle. Ngale ndlu esisahlala kuyo nomndeni wami nezizikulwane zami ziyokhumbula ngayo ukuthi ikhehla eliyimi laqopha umlando ngokuba owokuqala owoHlanga ukunqoba iComrades obekubusa kuyo abelungu kuphela,” kubeka uTshabalala oganwe uMaMzwakhe.
Uveze ukuthi akasoze alukhohlwa ubandlululo aluthola ngemuva kokunqoba.
“Babengibiza ngawo wonke amagama bethi nginqobe ngoba engekho uFordyce. Ngemuva kokwakhelwa indlu kwenyukela, babefika nasesangweni kwami bethi kwenzeka kanjani ukuthi umuntu omnyama abe nendlu efana nezabo.”
UTshabalala ukholelwa ukuthi ukube akalimalanga engozini yemoto ngowe-1991 ngabe wahamba ibanga elide nokugijima. Ngokuhamba kweminyaka wabuyela kuComrades, wanqoba izindondo ezine zesiliva. Ngowe-1998 uklonyeliwe yiComrades Marathon Association (CMA) ngendondo yePlatinum, imbonga ngokubamba iqhaza kulo mjaho.
Leli qhawe liphinde labonga uMasipala wangakubo iMetsimaholo ngokumenzela umcimbi wokumhlonipha eminyakeni edlule. Uthe ayikho into emjabulisa njengokubona aboHlanga beqhubeka nokunqoba iComrades.
Phakathi kwabasubathi boHlanga abavulelwe amasango uTshabalala ngokunqoba iComrades, uJetman Msuthu owayinqoba ngowe-1992, u-Andrew Kelehe (2001), uFusi Nhlapho (2003), uSipho Ngomane (2005), uStephen Muzhingi waseZimbabwe (2009, 2010, 2011), uLudwick Mamabolo (2012), uClaude Moshiywa (2013), uBongumusa Mthembu (2014, 2017, 2018), uGift Kelehe (2015), uDavid Gatebe (2016) no-Edward Mothibi nyakenye.
Ngonyaka odlule bekuwunyaka wesi-8 kunqoba aboHlanga kulandelana. UTshabalala yena wavulelwa amasango abanjengoRobert Mtshali owaba owokuqala woHlanga ukugijima iComrades ngowe-1935. AboHlanga babengakavunyelwa ukuba yingxenye yalo mjaho. Baze bavunyelwa ngowe-1975. Kuwo lo nyaka uVincent Rakabele waba owukuqala ukuklonyeliswa ngendondo ngokusemthethweni. Waphuma endaweni yama-20. Ngonyaka owalandela waba kweyesine kwathi ngowe-1977 waba kweyesi-8.
UTshabalala uthe ngemuva kokuyeka ukugijima akathandanga ukuvula ikilabhu yakhe noma ukucija intsha ngoba kudinga isikhathi esiningi. Uveze ukuthi njengoba kuhlasele ukhuvethe uzihlalele nomndeni wakhe kanti usebenza kwenye yezinkampani ekhiqiza amakhemikhali.
