UMNDENI kaSamuel Tshabalala ongowokuqala kwabamnyama ukunqoba iComrades Marathon, uthi usashaqekile ngendlela ubaba wekhaya adlule ngayo emhlabeni.
Izindaba zokudlula emhlabeni kukaTshabalala, owaqopha umlando ngo-1989 eshaya intambo ngesikhathi esingu-5:35:51, kuvukwe ngazo ngoMsumbuluko.
Indodakazi kaTshabalala, uNora Movundlela, itshele Isolezwe ukuthi bathuke boma uyise eshayeka phansi kuyoshaya u-7 kusihlwa, ngeSonto. Uthe bamphuthumise eVaal Park Natcare lapho eshone ekhona ngabo-8.30 ebusuku.
Uthe okubamangazile wukuthi ubengenazo izifo ezihlasela abantu abadala kwazise ubehlala ngokuzivocavoca.
Uqhube wathi uyise ubengakaze akhale ngokuthi kukhona okumphethe kabi emoyeni.
UTshabalala onomuzi eZamdela, eFree State, ushone eneminyaka ewu-65.
"Namanje sisazibuza ukuthi ubaba udliwe yini. Ubengumqemane njengoba ubephinde aqeqeshe abasubathi abasakhula endaweni. Ngabe mhlawumbe kuyezwakala ukube besikhona esifo abehlala ekhala ngaso. Sesizolindela umbiko ngembangela yokushona kwakhe. Sife olwembiza. Ubewubaba oqotho kithina nakubazukulu bakhe," kubeka uNora.
Uthe uyise ushiye emhlabeni unina wabo, uJulia Tshabalala, izingane eziyisikhombisa nabazukulu abawu-18.
UNora uthe uyise uzofihlwa ngoMgqibelo khona eZamdela.
Okwabuye kwanonga ukunqoba kukaTshabalala, iComrades eyayehla, ibheke eThekwini, wukuthi waphazamisa ukuchanasa kukaBruce Fordyce owayeseyiwine kayisishiyagalombili kulandelana.
Emjahweni isibili sathathwa nguWillie Mtolo, amagalelo akhe angadingi kuchazwa kuma-ultra marathon.
Ngo-1991, uTshabalala wake waba sengozini yemoto esabekayo. Waze wabuyela kwiComrades ngo-1992. Udlule emhlabeni eyigijime ka-13.
Unendondo yegolide neziwu-12 zesiliva. UMtolo uveze ukuthi uTshabalala bekuwumngani wakhe omkhulu.
"Nakuba engasekho emhlabeni uTshabalala kodwa umlando wakhe kawusoze washabalala. Ukhumbule ukuthi ngesikhathi anqoba ngaso iComrades kwakuseyisikhathi sobandlululo. Ukunqoba kwakhe akwehlanga kahle kwabebala elimhlophe. UTshabalala ubewumuntu olungile futhi ewuphila umdlalo wokugijima. Awududuzeke umndeni wakhe," kubeka uMtolo owanqoba iNew York Marathon ngo-1992.
UMqondisi Ngcobo ongusihlalo weComrades Marathon Association (CMA), ungomunye wabakhalile ngokushona kukaTshabalala.
"SiyiCMA siduduza umndeni kaTshabalala. Leli qhawe liyibekile induku ebandla. Kubuhlungu kunjalo kodwa kumele siyigubhe impilo yakhe nobuqhawe bakhe," kubeka uNgcobo.
Ngo-1998 iCMA yahlonipha uTshabalala ngePlatinum Medal Award, kwathi ngo-2016 yamhlonipha ngebhantshi lekhethelo okuklonyeliswa ngalo abake bayinqoba iComrades.