IBUKEKA ifihle induku emqubeni insephe yomgijimi yaKwaZulu-Natal, uBongumusa Mthembu, esiwunqobe amahlandla amathathu umjaho iComrades Marathon (89km), ogijinywa minyaka phakathi koMgungundlovu neTheku.
UMthembu (39), onqobe iComrades iminyaka ilandelana ngo-2017 nango-2018, ngo-2019 ulale isibili, kwathi emjahweni wanyakenye walala isine, unqotshwa wuTete Dijana.
Ukungagijimi kukaMthembu iTotalsports Two Oceans Marathon yakulo nyaka, okuwumjaho enze kahle kuwona nyakenye elala isine nokungumjaho awunqoba ngo-2019, kubukeka kuyinkomba yokuthi le nsephe yomgijimi yonga amandla ukuzilungiselela umjaho omkhulu weComrades ozoba ngoJuni 11 usukela eMgungundlovu usongwe eThekwini.
Nakuba Isolezwe ngoMgqibelo ligcine lingamtholanga ngaphambi kokuloba lolu daba kodwa kuke kwavela kweminye yemithombo yabezindaba ukuthi uMthembu umagange ngokusinqoba isicoco seComrades yakulo nyaka, okulindeleke izinga eliphezulu kuyo kwazise yenyusiwe imiklomelo ezowinwa ngabagijimi.
Ngeledlule abeComrades Marathon Association (CMA) bamemezele ukwenyuswa kwemiklomelo yalo mjaho njengoba yehliswa ngemuva kokugadla kweCovid-19 ngo-2020 nango-2021.
IComrades yakulo nyaka engeka-96, njengoba yagijinywa okokuqala ngonyaka ka-1921, ingenelwe ngabagijimi abawu-20 000 abaphuma emazweni ehlukene.
Ngenkathi uMthembu egabha iTwo Oceans Marathon ebingo-Ephreli, eKapa, ungenele iPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon yebanga lika-52km, enqotshwe wuNtsindiso Mphakathi wase-Eastern Cape, isukela eNquthu iphelela eDundee ngesonto eledlule.
Kulo mjaho uMthembu olale endaweni ka-26 kucacile ukuthi ubengezile ukuzolwela ukuwunqoba kodwa ubewuthatha njengengxenye yamalungiselelo akhe okuyoyibamba kwiComrades okuyiyona ayibheke kakhulu.
Ngaphandle kukaMthembu, ezinye izinsephe ezibhekiwe emjahweni wakulo nyaka, kubalwa u-Edward Mothibi, uNkosikhona Mhlakwana noDijana ongumpetha ovikela isicoco.
UMothibi onqobe lo mjaho ngo-2019, nyakenye ulale isibili. Kanti uMhlakwana okhombisa ukudlondlobala emijahweni yamabanga amade, nyakenye ulale isithupha ewugijima okokuqala, kulandela ukulala kwakhe isibili kwiTwo Oceans nyakenye nokuthe kweyakulo nyaka (iTwo Oceans) walala isithathu.