UBongumusa Mthembu wesese ngokuba yingxenye yeHarry Gwala Marathon
SIHLE NGUBO
Unethemba lokuthi ukulimala kuzomxolela umgijimi uBongumusa Mthembu, njengoba elungiselela iComrades Marathon ka-2026, afisa ukwenza kangcono kuyona.
UMthembu uveze lokhu ngesikhathi kwethulwa ngokusemthethweni iHarry Gwala District Marathon 42.2km, ayinxusa layo, eXopo, ngoLwesithathu.
Abanye abagijimi abangamanxusa alo mjaho uThobani Chagwe, ozobe egijima, noJanet Mbhele, naye ozobe eyibambile kwabesifazane.
Lo mjaho waminyaka yonke uzogijinywa ngoMashi 22 kulokhu, kanti uzophelela eMzimkhulu.
Ozodla umhlanganiso kwi-42.2km, uzohlomula ngo-R60 000, kwabeselisa nabesifazane.
Kwi-21km onqobile uzothola u-R10 000, kuthi kwi-10km ophume phambili athole u-R5000.
UMthembu, osenqobe iComrades Marathon kathathu, uthe kumjabulisa kakhulu ukuba yinxusa lomjaho wangakubo.
“Siyabonga kakhulu ukuthi basakwazi ukusimema sibe amanxusa omjaho wabo,” kusho uMthembu.
“Umjaho wasekhaya lo ngaphansi kweDistrict yethu. Sethemba ukuthi bazoqhubeka nokubeka izidingo zabagijimi phambili.”
UMthembu usegxile ekugijimeni iComrades Marathon kuphela, akasazihluphi ngeminye imijaho efana neTwo Oceans Marathon, aseke wayinqoba.
Lo mgijimi waseBulwer uthe uthandazela ukuthi kufike usuku lweComrades Marathon engumqemane.
“Amalungiselelo ngethemba ukuthi azoqhubeka ahambe kahle. Sengivele ngihambile esifundazweni, ngiwaqalile amalungiselelo.
“Ngethemba ukuthi angizulimala. Ziningi izinto engibhekana nazo, abantu abaningi bajabulela ukubona uBongumusa egijima lawo mahora amahlanu kuphela.
“Kodwa izinkinga nezingqinamba ziba manje uma ngenza amalungiselelo. Njengoba ngikhuluma ngokungabi KwaZulu-Natal, konke lokho kuyinto okumele ngiyenze.
“Kubuhlungu ukugijima wazi ukuthi ulimele laphaya nalaphaya kodwa ngale kwalokho ngethemba uNkulunkulu nabakithi ukuthi bazongigcina.”
IMeya yeHarry Gwala District, uZD Nxumalo, ithe yesese kakhulu ngokuthi lo mjaho ulokhu ukhula minyaka yonke.
“IHarry Gwala Marathon ikhangisa ngendawo yethu enhle, nokubumbana ngokomoya emphakathini wethu,” kusho uNxumalo.
“Simema abagijimi, imindeni nabalandeli ukuthi bahlanganyele nathi ngosuku lomdlalo, ubumbano nokuzigqaja.
“Unyaka nonyaka siyaziqhenya ngokuthi isibalo zabagijimi balo mjaho siyenyuka ngesikhulu isivinini.”
Ngonyaka odlule umhlanganiso udliwe uSinethemba Tshangase okungumgijimi waseMzimkhulu.
Ukungenela umjaho kuvuliwe kanti kunxenxwa nabakhubazekile ukuthi bangenele, futhi bona abakhokhi lutho ngokuba yingxenye yomjaho.
