The 97th Comrades Marathon took place on Sunday, June 9, with over 20,000 athletes challenging themselves both physically and mentally. Among them was Sergeant Sifiso Gwala, a police officer from Pietermaritzburg.
Gwala is a communications officer of the Umgungundlovu District. Gwala told IOL that he entered the race to disprove the ‘perception that all South African cops are fat and lazy’.
“I was inspired by one of my senior managers, whom I saw running with ease. I then decided that if he can do it, so can I. From there, I never looked back. I started enjoying this sport,” he said.
Gwala has been a police officer for 20 years. His first Comrades Marathon was in 2022. He then entered again in 2023 and participated again this year.
“It makes me sad when I see social media focusing on only the negatives about the South African Police Service (SAPS), whereas there are other positives that we can tell about the organisation.
“I want people to see police officers and trust and have confidence in them. This could get officers cherished by the community.”
This year, 356 police officers ran The Ultimate Human Race. On Saturday, top brass of the SAPS, including National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, Deputy National Commissioner Lieutenant-General Lineo Nkhoua, and Provincial Commissioner of KZN, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, attended a formal send-off parade for the participating officers.
Gwala added that being an athlete means you have to be disciplined in the way you eat and manage your time. He emphasised that it's very important to be mentally fit because when your body is tired and cannot go any further, your mental health and resilience to finish take over.
“My favourite Comrades Marathon runner is Bongumusa Mthembu. He is such a humble and inspiring person. He is also from a rural area; he is actually my ‘home boy’ and I know him personally, and I have had a chance to run with him through his training runs and others.”
The Sergeant thanked the police management in particular the Provincial Commissioner, the immediate commanders for supporting members, and their main sponsor for the support.
IOL News