UThemba Mkhangeli unomnqweno wokuya kwiComrades Marathon

UThemba Mkhangeli yombaleki xa engazobi.

“Ukubaleka yinto endiyithandayo. Ndikhule ndingumntu odlala ibhola ekhatywayo,” utshilo uThemba Mkhangeli encokweni neli phephandaba. Abantu abaninzi bamazi kakhulu kwicandelo lobugcisa ngoba ungomnye wabazobi abaphambili eMzantsi Afrika.

Kodwa ukhona ngoku nakwicandelo lezeembaleki. Ebantwini abaninzi, ukuba yimbaleki ngumsebenzi obeka isonka etafileni – kodwa kwabanye abaquka uMkhangeli, 29, ukubaleka sesona sixhobo esithembekileyo sokuqinisa impilo.

“Abantu abaninzi abazi ukuba udinga ukuzilolonga ukuze zisebenze kakuhle izinto ezifana nengqondo, intliziyo nomzimba. Ndazibona ukuba akusekho nto endingayizuza ebholeni ekhatywayo ngenxa yeminyaka endinayo.

Ukubaleka ndakubona njengento engandinceda ndigcine umzimba wam unamandla. Enye into sihlala kwiindawo ekunzima ukuphila kuzo. Ndiyakuthanda ke ukubaleka ngoba yinto endinika ngayo abantwana abasakhulayo ithemba ukuze bangangeni ezintweni ezimbi,” utshilo uMkhangela owazalelwa eMthatha.

Kutshanje uMkhangeli ebengundabamlonyeni emva kokuba enikwe uxanduva lokuzoba imali elishumi yiBhanki enguVimba yaseMzantsi Afrika (South African Reserve Bank). Ngoku ufuna ukuthatha impumelelo ayizuze kwicandelo lobugcisa njengegcisa ayikhuphele kwicandelo lezeembaleki.

Kutshanje ufumene imbasa emva kokuthatha inxaxheba kwiWinelands Marathon engumgama oyi42 weekhilomitha. Eminye imidyarho yeembaleki azive amandla kuyo iquka iAbsa Run Your City Cape Town, uGunrun Marathon neSanlam Cape Town.

Njengokuba kuvalwa unyaka obunzima kwezinye iinkalo zobomi, yena uMkhangeli uthi wenze inkqubela ebonakalayo kwezeembaleki. “Izinto bezintle kum kwicala leziphumo. Kwiminyaka ezayo ndingakhuphisana neembaleki ezaziwayo.

Ukuba ndingafumana inkxaso, ndingaya kwiComrades Marathon yam yokuqala. Ingenzeka lo nto kodwa ukuba ndingafumana inkxaso, indawo yokuzilolonga esemgangathweni nomqeqeshi,” utshilo uMkhangeli obalekela iqela leembaleki ekuthiwa yiAdventist Athletics Club.