BY TAPFUMA MACHAKAIRE

For over a decade, the month of September has been a period that brings joy to the entertainment-starved Tonga people in the remote Binga district of Matabelelamd North Province of Zimbabwe.
It is the time that the biggest sporting event in the district now known as the Kasambabezi, Binga Marathon is held and this year the event is set for September 26 to 28
The history of the renowned sporting activity dates back to September 2008, when the late Dr Nkululeko Sibanda, then Chief Executive Officer of Twalumba Holdings, mooted the idea of celebrating International Peace Day in Binga, when he launched Kujatana Nkubotu Peace half Marathon.
In the local Tonga language Kujatana Nkubotu means unity is noble and indeed, the 21-kilometre half marathon grew into an event that in the words of Dr Sibanda “brought the world to Binga,” thus uniting people through sport.
The race had categories that encompassed professional athletes from clubs around the country, athletes from schools in Binga, a wheelchair race, and a category for the elderly which attracted scores of villagers from around the district. All the races had lucrative monetary awards in addition to the medals.
Traditional leaders from the district would grace the occasion, where Government Ministers and other dignitaries from around the country would also be present.
The annual half marathon got international recognition after the successful marking of the race route by International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) representatives in June of 2011.
In 2012, a year after this accomplishment, the event which was boosting the image of the district and unlocking its rich tourism potential, suddenly collapsed, only to resurface in 2017
Recent Ncube, chairperson of the Kasambabezi Binga Marathon, says “After staying for four years without a major sporting event in Binga and inspired by Kujatana Nkubotu Half Marathon, a group of men who used to meet during morning jogging sessions at the growth point, came up with the idea of reviving the annual event.” Leadership of the team that emerged from the Binga sports enthusiasts include Never Mwinde, Recent Ncube, Ronald Siamwamwata and Jeofries Mthombeni.
This year’s event which follows in the footsteps of Kujatana Nkubotu Half Marathon will kick off with a cultural festival and visitors will have an opportunity to visit tourism attraction points that include the hot springs and the Binga beach. .Ncube says the group started mobilizing resources and at the first event in 2017, winners were awarded with just T-shirts. The marathon is now being supported by several commercial organizations and players in the hospitality industry operating in the district who have made it possible for the event to honour winners with decent cash awards. Kasambabezi Half Marathon is also attracting professional participants from neighboring countries with an estimated 1 500 expected to register for this year’s event.
“The event has not only put Binga on the map, but also promoted sport tourism, cultural diversity while uplifting business in the district,” said Ncube.
The message that Dr Sibanda, the founder of Kujatana Nkubotu Half Marathon left for his kinsmen in Binga was “If Robson Mulombe made history by being part of the 1964 team that represented Southern Rhodesia at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, where he competed in the marathon, why cant that spirit inspire the district to carry the torch” Is this what the Kalambabezi Binga team is aspiring to achieve? Time will tell.