Legacy half marathon to bring history to life

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the untimely death of Chief Albert Luthuli in an suspicious accident on the railway bridge in Groutville on July 21, 1967.

Hundreds of people will descend upon Groutville for the Chief Albert Luthuli Legacy Walk and Half Marathon on Saturday, July 22, in a bid to commemorate the occasion and trace his final steps.

Chief Albert Luthuli was a devout Christian, chief of the Groutville Amakholwa Tribe, one of the longest serving presidents of the African National Congress, and the first African winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

The event in his honour is spearheaded by Groutville community leader Zakhele Gumede and supported by the Ilembe District Municipality, KwaDukuza Municipality, Enterprise Ilembe and the Luthuli Museum.

There will also be a charity golf day for corporate participants and other interested parties at Prince’s Grant Golf Estate on Friday July 21, ahead of the walk and half marathon.

Gumede said the walk made its debut last year when more than 500 people of all ages took part.

“This year is particularly significant given the 50th anniversary of Chief Albert Luthuli’s death and the main purpose of these events is to acknowledge and celebrate his life, but also to highlight the rich history and heritage of this area and grow its socio-economic and tourism potential,” he said.

While the routes differ for the 11.5 kilometre walk and the 21 km half marathon, the highlight of both will be the opportunity for participants to cross the railway bridge where Luthuli was hit by a train and to visit his memorial site nearby.

The route passes several iconic sites that contribute to the prolific history of the area.

These include the Mahatma Gandhi memorial and statue of Chief Luthuli on Chief Albert Luthuli Street, the King Shaka Visitor’s Centre which houses Shaka’s grave, the Observation Rock upon which King Shaka used to sit and watch his impis, the soccer field where then New York senator Robert F Kennedy’s helicopter landed when he visited Chief Luthuli in 1966, and Luthuli’s final resting place at the Groutville Congregational Church graveyard.

The Luthuli Museum has also been proclaimed a national monument and includes the original 1927 home of Chief Luthuli at 3233 Nokukhanya Luthuli Street. Groutville has the distinction of being the birthplace of one of South Africa’s literary pioneers and the first professor of Zulu at Wits University, poet and author, B W Vilakazi.

The village primary school is named after him. Interestingly, the street in Soweto that was home to both Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu is named after Vilakazi. Legendary boxer, Elijah “Tap Tap” Makhathini, also lived in the area.

Pre-registration for the Chief Albert Luthuli Legacy Walk and Half Marathon and the charity golf event is essential. For more information or to register, visit www.luthuliwalk.org.za.

The entry fee for the race and half marathon is R100 per person which includes a T-shirt and a badge. Registration for the charity golf day is R3000 per four-ball or R750 for singles.

All proceeds will go towards Groutville Intuthuko Yethu NPO, formed by the Groutville community.

Contact organiser Zakhele Gumede on zsgumede@live.co.za or call 082 804 4488.

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