Phakathi kwinyanga yeKhaya, iimbaleki eziphuma kwiindawo ngeendawo ziza kufumana ithuba lokukhuphisana kumdyarho weembaleki ekuthiwa yi’Iconic Journey Marathon. Omnye weembaleki eziza kube zithatha inxaxheba nguThemba Mkhangeli waseMthatha – kodwa ohlala eKapa.
Lo ngomnye wemidyarho yeembaleki onika iimbaleki ithuba elihle lokuziva amandla, ngakumbi ezo zilungiselela ukuya kwimidyarho emikhulu efana neComrades Marathon. Injongo ye’Iconic Journey Marathon kukubhiyozela inkululeko yoMzantsi Afrika egqibe amashumi amathathu eminyaka.
Nangona ebekhe waphazanyiswa kukonzakala ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka, uMkhangeli uxelele I’solezwe lesiXhosa ukuba ujonge phambi kumhla womdyarho weembaleki. UMkhangeli yimbaleki engenaminyaka emininzi – kodwa okuhle kukuba sele ebaleke kwimidyarho yeembaleki eyaziwayo nangona ephoswe yiRed Hill Marathon, iCape Peninsula ngenxa yokonzakala kulo nyaka.
Ujonge ukuya kwiTwo Oceans Marathona nakwiComrades Marathon okokuqala ebomini bakhe. “Unyaka andiwuqalanga kakuhle ngenxa yokonzakala,” utshilo uMkhangeli odume kakhulu ngokuzoba abantu ngosiba.
Udume ilizwe lonke kunyaka ophelileyo emva kokunikwa kwakhe ithuba lokuzoba imali ezinkozo esetyenzisa eMzantsi Afrika. Lithuba elo awalinikwa yiBhanki enguVimba (South African Reserve Bank) angasoze alilibale. Njengezinye iimbaleki ezininzi, uMkhangeli udinga inkxaso ukuze akhulise isakhono sakhe sokubaleka.
Kodwa nakubeni kunjalo, akahlalanga phantsi. “Ndilindwe ngumdyarho ekuthiwa yi’Icon Journey Marathon ongumgama ongamakhulu amane (400km) ngomhla weshumi elinesithathu kwinyanga yeKhala. Siza kubaleka kuwo singabantu abalishumi elinesibini,” utshilo uMkhangeli.
Xa kuphela lo nyaka, uMkhangeli uthi ufuna ukuzibona etshotsha entla namakhwenkwe amakhulu kwicandelo lezembaleki eMzantsi Afrika. “Ndifuna ukushiya umzila kwinto nganye endiyenzayo ebomini bam. Iyenzeka lo nto ngoba ndibhalisa igama lam kwiincwadi zembali ngokubaleka imidyarho emikhulu. Eyona nto endiyifunayo yimpilo entle, ndifumane amava ndiphinde ndifunde banzi ngokubaleka,” uvale ngaloo mazwi uMkhangeli.
Silungiselela ukukhusela indebe yethu kwiWafcon, utsho uDesiree Ellis