The founders of Soweto Marathon are alleging that the township’s premium road race has been hijacked.
The accusation is flying as the Soweto Marathon 2024 is scheduled to take place on Sunday morning. The race will start from the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec.
The Soweto Marathon Trust established the race in 1991. Its purpose was to encourage road running in the townships and the development of athletics, among other things.
The Soweto Marathon Trust has organised this historic race for the previous 33 years, but Soweto Marathon Pty Ltd, a recently established private company, will organise it this year.
Intention not to enrich individuals
One of the founders and a trustee, Thulani Sibisi, told Sunday World that the race has been hijacked.
“I am angry because the intention was never to benefit the community of Soweto and not to enrich certain individuals,” said Sibisi.
“However, we just realised that Thokozani Mazibuko [who is also a trustee] and three others went behind our backs and opened a private company, Soweto Marathon Pty Ltd.
“They also frozen the Soweto Marathon Trust bank account and opened another bank account where they receive funds. All of this was done without our consent.”
He said that the race belongs to the Soweto Marathon Trust, not Mazibuko’s company.
“As the trust, we are concerned because this new company is using all rights of the trust to host this race, yet it was fraudulently opened,” he said.
“I want to put it on record that the directors of Soweto Marathon Pty Ltd do not represent the trust but themselves; they’re not even representing clubs of Soweto as beneficiaries.
“No government monies, no monies must be deposited in this fraudulent account from any sponsors. If it’s done, it shouldn’t be accountable to Soweto Marathon Trust, but these directors will be responsible for it.”
Mandated by road running clubs
When approached for comment, Mazibuko denied that he has opened a private company. “There’s no such thing. I never opened a private company,” he said.
Sunday World presented him with evidence, and he confessed to opening the company.
“I didn’t open this company alone, but there were three of us. We were mandated by Soweto Marathon clubs to open this private company.
“We found that Soweto Marathon Trust was mismanaging funds, and we were advised to freeze their account and open a new company.
“We even ordered a forensic investigation on implicated persons; the matter is in the high court.”
When asked to produce evidence, he refused. When Sunday World pressed him to forward his legal representative’s contact details, he failed to do so.
