Greetings to AmaCabal Amahle! It has been a while since we had our ‘fireside chat.’ I trust that you
are all well and healthy. It has been heart-warming to see the post Comrades hive of activity with
members taking part in several races both in our province and across the Jukskei River in the north.
For our club, the 2023 Comrades marathon was a testament to the effectiveness of our Saturday
club runs. Out of the 32 members who lined up at the start, 28 completed the arduous trek from
Pietermaritzburg to Durban, an 87.5 % success rate.
Of those who finished, we bagged 2 Bill Rowan medals, 6 members earned the Robert Mtshali
medals, 4 achieved bronze medals and 16 were rewarded with the Vic Clapman sub- 12hour medals.
We are truly proud of this wonderful achievement and I would also like to congratulate the
members who did not make it to the finish line. Your bravery, commitment and resilience and the
lessons learnt at this year’s race will enrich your experience and strengthen your resolve in 2024.
Thank you to Coach Bheki for crafting testing routes and as discussed in our open meeting in early
August, plans are afoot to include speed and hill drills as part of our training.
On the 9 th August we held our first, club-wide meeting attended by 25 members, a satisfactory
turnout as it was also Women’s Day. I would like to thank every member who made the effort to
attend and share their views during the historical session. The meeting was aimed at acknowledging
the strides we have made in the last two years. We also put forward bold ideas on how to take this
beautiful club to the next level. Some of the main issues discussed were:
- Announcement on the hosting of a gala dinner to celebrate the club’s 23 years of existence
and the hosting of our inaugural, annual awards ceremony. - Soweto Cabal application to host a race, a 10km and 5km fun run in 2014, possibly in August
2024. - The need to establish a junior team attached to a greater development programme. It is
envisaged that the programme will in time be elevated into a Soweto Cabal Academy.
I would like to reiterate that the meeting’s primary aim was to give a voice to members to and to
hear their views. It is a platform through which members can ‘own’ the club and participate in
shaping its future.
Ke a leboga!
Balebetse ‘Rio’ Matlhaku,