I-KZNA ixhasa umjaho kaMthembu
UMaphumulo uyintatheli yezemidlalo.
UMandla Mngomezulu oyisekela Mengameli weKwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA), uthi nakanjani bazoqhubeka nokuseka okwenziwa uBongumusa Mthembu.
Ngonyaka wezi-2014 uMthembu wanqoba iComrades Marathon, kwathi ngoZibandlela wawo lowo nyaka wabe eseqala iBongumusa Mthembu Training Marathon. Ihlanganisa oMasipala ababili okuyi-Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma neHarry Gwala District.
Lana kusuke kungancintiswana kodwa inhloso kusuke kuwulekelela labo abazobe begijima iComrades Marathon ngonyaka olandelayo, ingakho leTraining Marathon iyibanga elingama-60km. Kulokhu izosukela eBulwer (Bhambatha Stadium) iphelele eMpendle (Inzinga Stadium), kusukela ligamenxe elesi-5 ekuseni.
“Into enhle kakhulu lena eyenziwa uMthembu okuhle kakhuluke yenziwa umuntu osezenzelile igama kwezokusubatha lapha eNingizimu Africa. Siyi-KZNA sizoqhubeka simuseke njengoba besenzile eminyakeni edlule. Okuhle ukuthi uyenzela endaweni yasemakhaya, okuyinto ehlezi iseqhulwini kithina siyi-KZNA ukuthuthukisa ezokusubatha ezindaweni zasemakhaya” kusho uMngomezulu ekhuluma nelaboHlanga.
UMngomezulu uthe ngelinye ilanga uyafisa ukubona abasubathi abayolandela ezinyaweni zikaMthembu abaqhamuka eBuwler noma eMpendle okuyilapho adabuka khona uMvelase (abakaMthembu).
Njengoba kuzobe kungokwesishiyalolunye ikhona iBongumusa Mthembu Training Marathon, isigijinywe abasubathi abanamagama kwezokusubatha okukhona uProdical Khumalo, uNkosikhona Mhlakwana, uFikile Mbuthuma noZinhle Shabalala. Nyakenye uMqondisi Ngcobo ongusihlalo weComrades Marathon naye ugijimile waze waqeda.
Lokhu kuziqeqesha akusizi kuphela abasubathi bebanga elide, kodwa nalabo abagijima elifishane bayasizakala. Okunye kuphinde kuhlomule abasubathi abangenawo amaqembu, abathola amateku nezinto zokugqoka.
ElaboHlanga liphinde lakhuluma naye uMthembu, obezwakala ukuthi ujabule njengoba sekufike lesi sikhathi sonyaka.
“Ikhombisa ukukhula okukhulu lento esayiqala eminyakeni edlule, ngoba baningi abagijimi abafuna ukuba yingxenye yayo nonyaka. Iyasiza kakhulu ngoba labo abagijima iComrades Marathon njengami, bahlezi besesimeni sokugijima. IComrades Marathon uyilungiselela yona nonyaka ekubeni uzoyigijima ngonyaka ozayo” kusho uMthembu.
UMthembu uthe kuyamjabulisa ukuthi ubethi uma egijima ekuseni eminyakeni edlule, kube engathi ayikho into ayenzayo kodwa kusukela aqala lolu qeqesho abantu abaningi sebegcwele emgwaqeni bayaziqeqesha. Ubambisene nekilabhu ebizwa ngeNxamalala Striders Athletics Club.
Lo msubathi ogijima ngaphansi kwe-Arthur Ford noneminyaka yobudala engama-39, useyinqobe kathathu iComrades Marathon, ngonyaka wezi-2014, 2017 nangowezi-2018.
Nonyaka kuyona iComrades Marathon uphume endaweni yesine ngesikhathi esiwu-05:38:07.
“Ngiayazi abantu babebheke ukuthi ngiyinqobe iComrades Marathon, kodwake kwangenzeka. Okuyisizathu salokho ukuthi iminyaka emithathu yonke ayibanga khona, kwangishaya kakhulu. Kodwa ngiyazincoma ukuthi emva kweminyaka emingaka, ngibalwe nabahlanu abaphuma phambili” kubeka uMthembu.