INSEPHE eyaba ngumsubathi wesibili ompisholo waseNingizimu Afrika ukunqoba iComrades Marathon, u-Andrew Kelehe, ithi nakuba sekwadlula iminyaka ewu-22 kodwa isakhumbula konke njengoba yaze yahalaliselwa, nguNelson Rolihlahla Mandela owayengumengameli wokuqala ngaphansi kukahulumeni wentando yeningi kuleli.
Abase bewulandela lo mdlalo balukhumbula kahle usuku lwangeSonto, ngoJuni 16, ngo-2001, lapho uKelehe (58), ashaya intambo, eKingsmead Cricket Stadium, eThekwini.
Le nsizwa yaseTaung, eNorth West, yaba yingqwele ngesikhathi esiwu-5:25.51, ishiya izinyamazane zaseRussia, uLeonid Shvetsov noVladimir Kotov .
Okwajabulisa kakhulu iningi lakuleli, wukuthi uKelehe owayegijimela iRentmeester AC, wayeqeda ukukhonya kwamaRashiya nokwabamhlophe bakuleli kulo mjaho olinganiselwa ku-90km, ogijinywa phakathi koMgungundlovu neTheku.
Wayelandela uSamuel Tshabalala owaba ngowokuqala omnyama ngokunqoba ngo-1989 ngesikhathi esiwu-5:35.51.
Njengoba kwehliwa emjahweni wakulo nyana ngoJuni 11, nango-1989 nango-2001 kwakungesifanayo.
UKelehe ungomunye wabagijimi abazohlonishwa ngeWinner’s Jacket yiComrades Marathon Association (CMA) emjahweni walo nyaka.
Ekhuluma neSoleze uthe akasoze alukhohlwa usuku anqoba ngalo.
"Nakuba sekudlule iminyaka ewu-22 kodwa kungathi yinto yayizolo. Sengibheke entanjeni kwakungathi ngiyaphupha ngesikhathi ngizwa izihlwele zezinhlanga ezahlukene zingigqugquzela,“ kusho uKelehe owaqala ukugijima ngo-1992.
“Kwaba sengathi ngimila izimpiko futhi ngiphila komunye umhlaba. Ngisho sengishaye intambo ngangingakholwa ukuthi ngishiye abasubathi bezinga eliphezulu abafana noShvetsov, Kotov nabanye.
“Ngangiphushwa wukuthi ngangigijimela izwe lami, ikakhulukazi abantu bakithi abampisholo," kubeka uKelehe okuzothi ngoJulayi uhlanganise iminyaka ewu-33 eyiphoyisa eMahikeng, khona eNorth West.
Okunye athe akasoze akukhohlwa wukubongelwa ngumengameli uMandela.
"Kwaphinde kwaba sengathi yiphupho ngithola ucingo olwaluvela kumengameli uMandela. Ngilikhumbula kahle izwi lakhe elalihlukile. Wathi ngenze iNingizimu Afrika yaziqhenya,“ kulandisa uKelehe ehleka.
UKelehe uzoklonyeliswa noKotov owayinqoba kathathu iComrades. Kukhona nezintokazi ezindala, uTilda Tearle (1993) no-Olef Kharitonov (2006).
"Ngizizwa ngibusisekile ngokuhlonishwa yi-CMA. Sekuphele iminyaka ewu-14 ngagcina ukugijima iComrades, bese ngizitshelile ukuthi lokhu ngeke kusenzeka. Ngibonga kakhulu, " kusho le nyamazame eshayele i-CMA izandla ngokwenyusa imiklomelo yalo nyaka.
Seyiyonke inyuke yafinyelela kuR4.31 million isuka kuR2.27 million wanyakenye.
Abazoshaya intambo bazogoduka noR500 000. Uma bekwaze ukuphula irekhodi likaDavid Getebe lango-2016 kwehliwa (5:18.10) nelikaFrith van Der Merwe lango-1989 (5:54.43) bazophinde bagixabezwe ngesinye isamba esifanayo.
"Yinhle le nto eyenziwe yi-CMA. Abagijimi bazokwazi ukuba nekusasa elihle. Ngo-2001 ngakwazi ukwenza okuningi ngoR150 000 engawunikwa ngokunqoba. Ngaphinde nganikwa amangqushana ikilabhu nababengabaxhasi bami, iNike. Isizukulwane sesimanje sinenhlanhla. Yiso esizozilambisa."
UKelehe iComrades uyigijime amahlandla awu-14. Unqobe kulandelana izindodo zegolide eziyishumi.