Christina Goldbaum
ARAFAT Gatabazi lives by one saying: “When you want to do something, you just have to do it.”
The 19-year-old Congolese refugee expressed that sentiment on Saturday when he completed the 7.5km swim from Robben Island to Bloubergstrand.
It was Gatabazi’s second attempt to complete the distance, after failing due to hypothermia during his first try in May. “They had to pull me out when I had one kilometre left,” Gatabazi said. “I was so disappointed.”
This time he completed the swim in three hours and 33 minutes.
Gatabazi came to Cape Town in October 2012 after fleeing the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He left behind his parents and two siblings, whom he suspects have been murdered by the M23, a rebel military group operating in Eastern Congo.
When he arrived in Cape Town, Gatabazi found refuge at the Homestead, a non-profit organisation which helps street children to reconstruct their lives.
He was introduced to swimming through The Homestead’s swim group led by instructor Marion Wagner. The group met every Thursday at the Long Street pool.
“I just wanted to teach them a basic survival skill, how to stay alive when in water,” Wagner said. “But Arafat had a wonderful relaxed stroke and style. I realised he had huge promise.”
Wagner asked cold water swimmers Selwyn Davidowitz, Tony Scalabrino and Maik Diercks of the Cape Long Distance Swimming Association to further Gatabazi’s training.
Gatabazi said the most difficult parts of the long-distance swim were dealing with the jellyfish and swimming by himself. Luckily, Dierks joined him for the last 2km.
“When he jumped into the water I felt like I had just started the swim,” Batagazi said. “I was so happy, like I had the courage to finish.”
Gatabazi is in Grade 12 at City Mission School on the Cape Flats where he is a prefect. He hopes to attend university next year to study computer science.