Samukelisiwe Mbatha (24) from Ndwedwe has found strength and purpose in wheelchair basketball after losing her mobility as a child.

Diagnosed with tuberculosis of the spine in 2010, her life took a dramatic turn when she became wheelchair-bound in 2012, aged 11.

This devastating progression to the disease came just four years after losing her mother when she was 7 years old.

“My mother died knowing that I was sick, but she knew me as an able-bodied child,” said Mbatha.

Despite these challenges, she continued her education at Glenwood Open Air School, a specialised school for children with physical impairments. It was there that she discovered her passion for basketball. Boarding at the school allowed her to pour her energy into the game, drawing inspiration from American basketball star Stephen Curry.

Her dedication soon paid off when she was scouted in 2014 during a game in Pretoria and selected to play for the KwaZulu-Natal Warriors, a provincial wheelchair basketball team. Her talent earned her a place on the national team, The Sasol AmaWheela Girls. She has since represented South Africa in international tournaments in Ethiopia, Ghana and Angola. Mbatha aspires to compete at the highest level, with dreams of playing in professional leagues in Germany or the USA.

After completing high school in 2019, Mbatha returned to Ndwedwe, where she now faces new obstacles in advancing her basketball career. With no wheelchair basketball training facilities in Ndwedwe, Mbatha must travel to Durban for practice. She commutes to Durban twice a week for training, depending on taxis for transport and friends for accommodation. Mbatha frequently encounters discrimination, with some taxi drivers demanding she pay extra for transporting her wheelchair, treating it as an additional passenger.

“They sometimes scold me, saying that the chair will bring dirt into their cars,” she said.

“Some taxi drivers are kind. But I need assistance to make travelling easier”.

Mbatha said that sponsorship for private travel, or a lift club from Mandeni to Durban would greatly ease her commuting challenges.

Despite these challenges, Mbatha is currently preparing for her next match on March 8 in the provincial club championship league in Newcastle.

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