Mahlangu scooped gold in the 200-metre sprint.

“This young athlete is a shining example to every young person in the province, country and the entire world. His recent achievement on the world stage has not just elevated him in the sporting world, but it has also put Mpumalanga on the map. Wherever his name is mentioned, the province is also mentioned, and this is a huge achievement for us,” said Shongwe.

READ: Mpumalanga Rhinos find a new home

Mahlangu who hails from KwaMhlanga, Nkangala District Municipality, started his athletics career in the T42 disability class, but currently competes in the T61 class after a revision of the International Paralympic Committee’s classification system.

He represented South Africa at the 2016 Summer Paralympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he won the silver medal in the men’s 200 metres T42 event at the age of 14. At the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London, he won the silver medal in the men’s 200 metres T42 event.

He also competed in the men’s 100 metres T42 event during which he did not advance to compete in the final. At the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, he won the gold medal in the men’s 200 metres T61 event and he finished in fourth place in the men’s long jump T63 event. He thus qualified to represent South Africa at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan.

READ: T-Boy’s fans demand his return to graveyard shift

In April, Mahlangu set a new world record of 22.94 seconds in the men’s 200 metres T61 final at the 2021 Toyota South African Sports for the Physically Disabled National Championships in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.

“We are proud of Mahlangu and would like to applaud him for his achievement. I believe he will inspire other young athletes in the province,” said Shongwe.