VUYO MBULI MEMORIAL RACE OFF TO A GOOD START
25-05-2015
The first man home in the inaugural Vuyo Mbuli Memorial Race was Lucky Mohale and the female winner was Nolene Conrad – who each took home prize money totalling R5 000 – in a race held in remembrance of the late veteran broadcaster.
Organisers say more than 1 200 people entered the race, which could be an annual event paying homage to Mbuli, who epitomised joviality, ethical and professional conduct and love. His sudden death in 2013 left many, including his family, friends and fans shocked and saddened.
The memorial race started at 8am at the James and Ethel Grey Park in Atholl, then meandered across the posh northern suburbs of Melrose, Illovo, Killarney and the lush and wealthy Houghton, before finishing off at the park.
Runners appeared to be in high spirits and several celebrities, media personalities, broadcasters and ordinary people from diverse backgrounds braved the cold winter chill to participate.
Mbuli’s son Sithi’Enkosi said he could not think of a better way that people could commemorate his father’s life except through the 10km run and 5km run. He added that he was looking forward to having many more.
“It’s a lovely occasion today,” he said, referring to Sunday 24 May 2015, the day which marked exactly two years since his father was buried.
He added that his father was an enthusiastic runner at the time of his death, but he hadn’t planned it that way. “My father loved to run; not only did he do it to lose weight at the beginning but it actually became a joy to him, which then developed into a passion. Commemorating his life through a run like this is fitting,” he said, striking his father’s always confident demeanour.
The City had partnered with the Mbuli family and the former broadcaster’s Running Club – the Soweto Cabal Athletic Club – to host the run as a way of keeping his memory alive.
The Vuyo Mbuli Legacy Project had also been started by his family in an effort to incorporate all of the late broadcaster’s passions, which involved learning and running and make them more accessible to people – as a way of expanding his legacy.
Chairman of the Soweto Cabal Athletic Club Sylvester Shange said the run was designed to highlight the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.
The City has a healthy lifestyle programme which encourages people to eat healthy and take up at least one form of exercise in order to beat lifestyle and other chronic diseases. The programme is also used to highlight the burden that lifestyle diseases are heaping on the City’s healthcare system and to encourage people to live healthy to ensure a prolonged lifespan.
Shange said plans are afoot to make the race bigger next year, with the addition of a third category – 21kms. “We will host it a month before the Comrades Marathon so that we can attract more elite runners in the long distance category,” he said.
Mbuli was well loved throughout the country because of his personality, his broadcasting skill and demeanour and for his gregarious character.
His widow Savita said her late husband was a “happy-go-to-lucky-person,” something that earned him the admiration of his peers and fans. “He was happy, he was always laughing and he was jolly, even in the face of adversity, he was very optimistic, I miss that,” she said.
Savita added that it had been an emotional day seeing her son, who has a striking resemblance of his father, start the race in his memory.
The veteran radio and TV personality collapsed while watching the Cheetahs’ 27 - 13 Vodacom Super Rugby win over the Reds at the Free State Stadium with his son. He was treated on scene before being transported to the Med-Clinic hospital in Bloemfontein, where he died.
He was buried exactly two years ago (on the 24th of May 2013) at the Heroes’ Acre Wespark Cemetery, after dying suddenly of a little known disease called pulmonary embolism, which is caused by blood clots that block one of the pulmonary arteries in the lungs. He was only 46.
At the time of his death, Mbuli had been a long time presenter on SABC 2’s primetime breakfast show – Morning Live, which he co-hosted with long-time colleague and friend, Leanne Manas. He made his television debut in 1993 and also worked at Talk Radio 702 and SA FM.
The Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development Councillor Chris Vondo said Mbuli carried the Joburg flag with pride everywhere he went. “Vuyo was a fitting role model in living a healthy lifestyle, not only for the residents of Johannesburg but for South Africans at large,” said MMC Vondo.
Shange said the race had met expectations and that although there had been teething problems, he’s happy with the planning and execution.
Sithi’Enkosi said the best way to ensure that his father’s memory is kept alive was for people “to be happy. That’s what my father always loved to do, just be grateful for everything you have and always try see the silver lining in the dark cloud, that’s what my father was all about”.