UMGIJIMI wamabanga amade, uSiboniso Sikhakhane, uthembisa ukukhipha amangwevu emjahweni iPrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon yebanga lika-52km alale isine kuyona nyakenye.
USikhakhane (34) waseMadadeni, eNewcastle, ubalwa nabagijimi abadabuka KwaZulu-Natal okubhekwe ukuthi babuyise isithunzi sesifundazwe kulo mjaho waminyaka yonke owasungulwa ngo-2019, nguMasipala wesiFunda saseMzinyathi, ngenhloso yokuhlonipha uMntwana uMangosuthu Buthelezi ongasekho.
Umjaho wakulo nyaka ozokube uhambisana namabanga ka-21km no-10km, uzoba ngo-Ephreli 27. Uzosuka eNquthu uyophelela eDundee.
Nonyaka abagijimi abazoba yingxenye yawo bezohlukaniselana isamba sika-R750 000. Abashaye intambo kuqala bazohlomula ngo-R150 000 kwabesifazane nakwabesilisa ebangeni lika-52km.
Lokhu kusho ukukhuphuka kwemiklomelo emjahweni wakulo nyaka njengoba nyakenye kwakungu-R100 000 kwabadle ubhedu ku-52km okuyilona banga elibhekwe kakhulu.
“Isifiso sami wukuthi ngenze kangcono kakhulu kwiPrince Mangosuthu yakulo nyaka, ngithathe indawo yokuqala. Khona ngiyazi ukuthi ngeke kube lula njengoba abagijimi sebezwile ukuthi imali ikhuphukile kodwa ngizimisele kakhulu,” kusho uSikhakhane we-Entsika Athletics Club.
“Ngiqala ukuwugijima lo mjaho (ngo-2022) ngalala isibili, ngonyaka odlule ngalala isine, ngakho ngikholwa wukuthi sesifikile isikhathi sokuthi ngiwunqobe. Kungaba yisibusiso esikhulu kimina ukunqoba lo mjaho engiwuthatha njengowasekhaya ngoba iDundee ngiyithatha njengekhaya kimi njengoba ngingowaseNewcastle.”
USikhakhane uzozicijela iPrince Mangosuthu ngomjaho iKazungula Bridge Marathon yebanga lika-42km eKazungula, eBotswana, ngoFebhuwari 22.
IPrince Mangosuthu engeminye yemijaho yokuzibekisela indawo kwiComrades Marathon. Nyakenye inqotshwe nguLekhotla Pulinyana waseLesotho, ngesikhathi esiwu-3:01:00, isibili kwaba ngu-Ayanda Ngcobo waseMsinga, ngesikhathi esingu-3:02:02.
INkosi yakwaButhelezi, uMntwana uZuzifa, oyindodana kaMntwana uMangosuthu okuqanjwe ngaye lo mjaho, uthe kufanele bakhuthazwe abagijimi baseNingizimu Afrika, ikakhulukazi abaKwaZulu-Natal, ukuba benze kahle kulo mjaho, imali ingahambi nabagijimi bokufika.
“Lo mjaho usukhule waze wafika kuleli zinga. Usungenelwa nangabagijimi bangaphandle kodwa siyafisa ukuthi abagijimi bakithi bakhuthazwe ukuthi benze kahle kulo mjaho, ingahambi yonke imali nabagijimi bangaphandle.
Sifisa nokuthi kusetshenziswe wona ukulwa nesihlava sokuhlukunyezwa kwabesifazane nezingane, intsha isebenzise amandla nomfutho wayo ekuzivocavoceni,“ usho kanje.