UFUNA kuqiniswe isitswebhu kwabatholakala benza umgunyathi kwiComrades Marathon, uMqondisi Ngcobo ongusihlalo enhlanganweni ehlela lo mjaho.
IKwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) iveze ukuthi abagijimi abawu-21 bahambise kwiComrades Marathon Association (CMA) izikhathi zokuhlungela lo mjaho ezingelona iqiniso.
Ithe beyithole ukuthi bawu-169 abenze lobu bugebengu.
Kube sekuhoxa abawu-148 emjahweni walo nyaka. Laba abagolozile bagwetshwe ngokuthi ngeke bawugijime umjaho walo nyaka nowango-2025.
Esithangamini nabezindaba obekucaciswa ngamalungiselelo alo mjaho ongeSonto, ozosuka eCity Hall, eThekwini ngo-5.30 ekuseni, ubheke eHollywoodbets Scottville Racecourse, eMgungundlovu, uNgcobo uthe buyabakhathaza lobu bugebengu. Bafuna ukuthi abenzi bobubi bathole izigwebo eziqine kakhulu.
"Lobu bugebengu buwukwedelela iComrades nomdlalo wokusubatha jikelele. Ngeke sikuvume lokho. ICMA yenze umsebenzi omkhulu ukuze lo mjaho uhlonishwe umhlaba wonke. Sizobonisana neKZNA nezinye izinhlaka ukuphuma nekhambi lokunqanda lo mkhuba. Sifuna izigwebo ziqine kakhulu kunakuqala. Sicela ukuthi abagijimi namakilabhu nezinye izinhlaka babambisane nathi ukulwa nalesi sihlava," kubeka uNgcobo.
UMandla Mngomezulu oyisekela mengameli kwiKZNA, uthe sebebhalele i-Athletics South Africa (ASA), bephakamisa ukuthi ukujeziswa kwabenzi bobubi kungagcini kuphela kwiComrades.
"Ngempela ukwedelela lokhu. Laba basubathi abawuhloniphi umdlalo wethu. Sifuna kujeziswe nabahambisa izikhathi ezingamanga nakwiTwo Oceans Marathon. Sifuna baxoshwe unomphela kulo mdlalo," kuchaza uMngomezulu. Khonamanjalo ukufika kwabaxhasi benkampani yezokuxhumana, iCell C emasontweni edlule, kube isibusiso kubagijimi njengoba kwenyuswe imiklomelo. Abazoshaya intambo bazokhala bemuke no-R850 000. Kuzongezwa u-R500 000 kwabazophula amarekhodi.
Ozofika kuqala kwiCell C Hot Sport eCato Ridge, uzogixabezwa ngo-R50 000. UNgcobo uthe ayakhula amathuba okunyuka kwemiklomelo ngesikhathi ebuzwa ukuthi mangakanani okuthi ifinyelele ku-R1 million kwabashaye intambo.
Kulo nyaka, lo mjaho uhlanganisa iminyaka ewu-50 abesifazane baqala ukuwugijima.
Bangaphezu kuka-20 000 abazosubatha sebe bonke abawungenele.
Kulesi sithangami kuvele ukuthi endleleni kuzoba neziteshi ezingu-48 ezizobe zineziphuzo nezithelo okuzonikwa abagijimi. Zizokwenganyelwa ngamavolontiya awu-5000.
Kuzophinde kube nawu-1000, kwengezwe ngo-200 aphuma emphakathini. Azolekelelana namaphoyisa, onogada ukuqinisekisa ukuphepha kwabagijimi nezithameli.
Kuzoba nosizo lwezempilo kubagijimi uma kwenzeka beludinga.
Abakwa-Netcare 911, bazohlinzeka ngama-ambulensi awu-16 azoqapha izimo zempilo kubagijimi. Bazophinde bahlinzeke ngezimoto eziyisithupha zezimo eziphuthumayo ezizobe zihamba nabosizo lokuqala. Izithuthuthu eziyisithupha, indiza enophephela omhlane ezobe iqaphe isimo esiphuthumayo uma sivela. Abazoba nenkinga bazophuthunyiswa kulezi zibhedlela, iSt. Augustine, Umhlanga, eThekwini, naseNetcare St. Anne’s, eMgungundlovu.