Emva kokuphazanyiswa kakubi ngubhubhane wesifo ekuthiwa yiKhorona, iComrades Marathon iya buya kulo nyaka inochatha. Ngomhla wamashumi amabini anesibhozo kule nyanga yeThupha, amawakawaka eembaleki (amanene namanenekazi) eziphuma eMzantsi Afrika nakumazwe ehlabathi ziza kuthatha inxaxheba kwiComrades Marathon ethandwa kakhulu eza kuqala eMgungundlovu ihle iyokuqhina eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini, kwiphondo laKwaZulu-Natal. Unyaka nonyaka kusoloko kukho iimbaleki ezintsha eziya kwiComrades ngoba akukho mntu oyimbaleki ongakufuniyo ukubaleka kuyo (ebomini bakhe) ngenxa yembali yayo etyebileyo. Phakathi kwabantu abaza kuthatha inxaxheba okokuqala kulo unyaka nguTozie Sabie Jompolo wakugatyane.
“Iza kokokuqala ndibaleka iComrades. Ndicinga ukuba kubalulekile ukuya kuyo nokuba kukanye egameni lakho xa uyimbaleki ngoba lugqatso olukhulu oluquka neembaleki zamazwe ehlabathi,” utshilo uJompolo kweli phephandaba. Le mbaleki yakuGatyane izithembile emva kwamalungiselelo wayo. Kule nyaka, uJompolo sele ethathe inxaxheba kwimidyyarho eyaziwayo efana neBest of the best Durban, Harry Gwala Marathon ebiseMzikhulu, Ultra Marathon ebaseMonti, iTwo Oceans Marathon nezinye ngelilungisela ukuya kolona gqatso olukhulu lweembaleki. “Andinalo tu uvalo ngoba ndikwazile ukuwuphucula umgangatho wam kwimigama emide. Ndiza kuwela entanjeni yeComrades.
“Andingomntu ozoyikiselayo ngoba ngoba ndingumntu okuthandayo ukuziva amandla kwezinye iimbaleki. Okwangoku ndisathe xha nokuzilolonga kakhulu ngoba ndifuna ukuya kwiComrades ngomzimba odlamkileyo. Onke amalungiselelo agqityiwe, ndilinde nje umhla wam wokuhamba ngoku,” utshilo uJompolo ophuma kwiilali ezingenabo ncam abantu ababalekayo. Akululanga ukuba yimbaleki ezilalini ngoba azikho iindawo zokuzilolonga futhi kunzima kakhulu ngoba amanenekazi asoloko esemngciphekweni wokuhlaselwa zizihange – kodwa uJompolo uzimisele ukuzenzela imbali kwicandelo lezembaleki noxa eqale sele emdala ngenxa yeengxaki abekhe wajamelana nazo ebomoni bakhe. Kulindeleke ukuba athambekele KwaZulu-Natal ngomhla wamashumi amabini anesihlanu kule nyanga yeThupha.
Ababezenza amapolisa baphanga usapho, baqhotsa batya inyama yabo!