Beitbridge Municipality’s 10-year-old Marathon held in June annually has this year been postponed to give way to a similar event celebrating Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s legacy as perhaps the most senior politician to emerge from the country’s southernmost district. Town clerk Loud Ramakgapola confirmed the postponement saying their event, themed Running Against Litter, will now be held on July 12 along the Harare Road.
“We have
postponed to give way to VicePresident Mohadi’s similar event when our dates
clashed,” he said.
“It’s to the
town’s advantage to have two similar events because both will create movement
that is important for business.
“We have
communicated with the relevant sports bodies and we are in support of the Run
for Hope marathon.”
For Beitbridge
sporting or any events that draw crowds are welcomed with both hands for a town
that is used to transient crowds.
The emergence
of the marathon Run for Hope in honour of Mohadi has, however, been met with
mixed feelings, with a section of the society saying another date could have
been slotted instead of muscling out a traditional event.
Other
Zimbabweans, most likely loyal to the ruling Zanu PF party, felt everything
else should stop when a national leader’s event takes place in any area.
Some running
and sports enthusiasts felt both events were welcome because they increased
their chances to run and have fun.
Earlier this
year, as traditional in the last nine years, Beitbridge Municipality announced
its event for June 21 saying being the 10th anniversary, it would be bigger and
better. Less than three weeks from the date, now a regular on the National
Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) calendar as a national event, Mohadi’s
marathon was announced that it would take place on the same date.
“Municipality
of Beitbridge did not write to the Sports and Recreation Commission for its
event to be sanctioned. NAAZ has just been holding these marathons without them
being sanctioned by the SRC.
We applied for
ours, we chose a date and it was approved,” said one of the organisers.
“If you are a
reporter with national interest, you must know that such events involving
national leaders come first,” he charged, refusing to share his name, which,
however, was later sourced elsewhere.
A provincial
executive of NAAZ, however, said the Beitbridge Municipality was well above
board, but as usual, it could not come before Mohadi’s planned marathon.
“The
registration of Beitbridge Mayor’s Half Marathon is well above board, but we
decided it could not clash with Vice-President Mohadi’s event,” the official,
who asked not to be named, said. Newsday
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