UZIZWA ebusisekile uBongmusa Mthembu ngokushaya ibuya kwabayishumi bokuqala kwiComrades Marathon ephelele eHollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse, eMgungundlovu.
Lo makadebona womgijimi odabuka eBulwer, wuyena yedwa kwabesilisa baKwaZulu-Natal ongene kwabayishumi bokuqala kwabesilisa.
Uphume indawo yesithupha ngesikhathi esiwu-05:34.45 kulo mjaho webanga lika-85.9km obusuka eCity Hall, eThekwini. Nyakenye kwaba nokukhulu ukudumala lo msubathi engabonwa nangokhalo kwi-Top 10.
Empeleni akekho noyedwa owesilisa wakulesi sifundazwe owangena.
AbaKwaZulu-Natal basindela intokazi uJenet Mbhele owalala eyeshumi.
Nakulokhu wenze kahle njengoba ephume eyesishiyagalombili kwabesifazane.
Ngesikhathi engangeni nyakenye uMthembu kwi-Top 10, kwaba nemibuzo eminingi. Babodwa ababebuza ukuthi ngabe sekuphelile yini ngaye.
Lo mjaho waqala ukuwunqoba ngo-2014 kwehlikwa (5:28.29). Wawuphinda ngo-2017 kwenyukwa (5:35.34). Wenza esifanayo nango-2018 (5:26.34). Kade kugcinwa ukwenyukwa ngo-2019, waphuma isibili (5:31.58).
Ngo-2022 wayelale isine (5:38.06).
UMthembu uthe ujabule ngesikhathi asigijimile. Uthe kuhambe njengokuhlela kwabo.
"Ngaso sonke isikhathi inhloso kusuke kuwukuqeda kwabayishumi bokuqala. Ngineme ngesikhathi engisenzile. Nokho bengihlele ukugijima esingaphansi kuka-5:30. Iseminingi iminyaka ezayo, mhlawumbe ngonyaka ozayo ngingaphinde ngiwunqobe lo mjaho. Ngibonga kakhulu kwabangisekile," kubeka uMthembu, othe akakazi ukuthi kuzoba imuphi umjaho wakhe olandelayo.
Uthe uzocabanga kahle uma esephumule ngokwanele.
Wale waphetha ukuveza ukuthi ikhempu yakhe ibikuphi.
"Ngeke ngisho ukuthi bengiziqeqesha kuphi ngoba nangonyaka ozayo ngiyabuya kwiComrades. Uma ngike ngasho ngingabona abantu sebengilandela. Wumkhuba walapha," kuqhuba uMthembu. Ube esebongela umkhaya wakhe uJenet okunguyena yedwa wesifazane waKwaZulu-Natal ongene kwabayishumi bokuqala.
Le ntokazi yaseMzimkhulu egijimela i-Xcel Running Club, yenze isikhathi esiwu-6:16:54.
"UJenet weza kimina wangibuza kabanzi ngeComrades. Ngamtshela ukuthi akakhulume nomqeqeshi wakhe baqhamuke nohlelo oluthile abazosebenzela phezu kwalo. Useke wayigijima eminye futhi wenza kahle kuyo. Benginalo ithemba nakuFikile (Mbuthuma). Ngo-2016 wenza kahle. Ngebhadi akulunganga, akaqhubeke azame. Ngethemba ukuthi amanye amantombazane azokhuthazeka ngenxa yempumelelo kaJenet," kusho uMthembu.