The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has defended its stance on the 2020 race which it said on Tuesday, via a statement, remains on schedule for June 14 – pending a review meeting in four weeks.
Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa criticised the organisation on Tuesday, calling the decision a “terrible and irresponsible” declaration.
Mthethwa felt the CMA’s stance undermined government’s efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak that’s currently gripping the world.
Numerous events across all sporting codes have either been suspended or cancelled.
However in an e-mail to the SABC, CMA chairperson Cheryl Winn said “there appeared to be a misunderstanding perhaps related to misleading media reports” on the matter.
In the audio below, Winn says no final decision on the Comrades has been taken:
116 South Africans have been infected with the coronavirus.
On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the virus, also known as COVID-19, a “national disaster”.
One of the key measures highlighted was the prohibition of gatherings of 100 people or more to help curb the spread of the pandemic. And with virus the numbers growing daily – Winn admitted that they will do the right thing once they get to their next review meeting on April 17.
This year’s Comrades is a ‘Down Run’ from Pietermaritzburg to Durban and is set to be the 95th edition in history. With the June 14 running in the balance, Winn also confirmed that organisers might look at moving the world-famous ultra-marathon, which attracts more than 20 000 runners, to a date late in 2020. – Report by Thahir Asmal
