Call to ‘ban Comrades thief’

Published Jun 7, 2013

Share

Durban - A Durban father is calling for controversial Comrades runner, Tshokela Maphori, to be banned from the race after he allegedly snatched his 18-month-old son’s pacifier from his mouth, popped it into his own and ran off.

Dave Schilt described Maphori’s behaviour as “disgusting and disappointing”, and not in keeping with the spirit of the Comrades Marathon.

On Tuesday, the Daily News reported that Maphori admitted to taking a Mickey Mouse stuffed toy from a five-year-old child in Durban during the race, claiming that it had been offered to him.

A day later, he was accused of snatching a pair of pink ear muffs from a 10-year-old girl’s head during Sunday’s race.

Comrades Marathon Association chairman, Dave Dixon, said yesterday he had received the written complaints from the children’s parents and was taking the matter “very, very seriously”.

He said such behaviour would not be tolerated.

“Our investigation has already started. We have pictures of him at the finish line with the bear, dummy and ear muffs,” Dixon said. “I have already contacted his running club in Limpopo and they will have to deal with him.”

Dixon said a decision would be taken in coming days whether Maphori would be allowed to participate in the race again.

“He could face a ban. We will not accept such behaviour.”

Schilt, a two-time Comrades runner himself, said he had gone to cheer on friends taking part in the marathon, when the incident happened.

He had been carrying his son, Dylan, and was standing along the roadside in Gillitts at about 9am when he spotted Maphori with the Mickey Mouse.

“He stood out in the crowd because of the bear and he had a dummy in his mouth. There were hundreds of runners passing through at the time. He suddenly moved away from the stream of runners and came towards us.”

Schilt said as the athlete came towards him, he moved back.

“He suddenly lunged forward and tried to pull the dummy out of Dylan’s mouth. I moved further back and asked him what he was doing.”

Schilt said that did not deter Maphori. “He just did not give up. He lunged forward again – this time a little more forcefully – and yanked the dummy out of Dylan’s mouth. I thought he was just fooling around and would return the dummy,” he said.

“But he then did the most disgusting thing ever. He removed the dummy he had in his mouth and replaced it with Dylan’s dummy.”

Schilt said he was flabbergasted and watched in disbelief as Maphori disappeared with the pacifier into the crowd of runners.

By this time, Dylan was hysterical.

“He calls his dummy a nanu. He began screaming ‘nanu, nanu’… He was traumatised.”

Schilt said his son was fond of the pacifier. “He is attached to it. For a few hours after that we had to deal with a screaming child. We could only go to the shop and buy another one after the surge of runners had eased.”

The Comrades Marathon was a huge part of their family tradition, Schilt said. His wife Claire and father-in-law, Allen Charlesworth, had also taken part in the historic race.

“Allen ran the Comrades 12 times. We know what the spirit of the race is about. Maphori certainly does not capture it.”

He said he had written to the Comrades Marathon Association and hoped they would take Maphori to task.

“He should be banned from the race. While to some it may be a laughing matter, I view it in a very serious light. His victims have all been children,” he said. “I am glad that one of the complainants is considering charging him with theft.”

On Tuesday, Maphori had said that he had been given three pacifiers by bystanders during the course of the race.

Schilt said: “The dummy was not offered as is suggested. It was forcefully removed.”

Maphori, of the Marula Marathon Club, left five-year-old Arman Moodliar of Overport bawling after the runner snatched his Mickey Mouse toy earlier in the race. Arman was at 45th Cutting cheering on athletes at about 6am when Maphori took his toy.

The Limpopo runner was then going down Josiah Gumede (Old Main) Road in Pinetown, when he removed Ryanne Toll’s ear muffs and placed them on his head.

The Grade 5 pupil bought them for the Johannesburg leg of the Justin Bieber concert with money she had earned doing household chores.

Maphori was identified as the runner who took the Mickey Mouse toy, ear muffs and pacifier after his picture appeared in the Daily News on Monday.

Daily News

Related Topics: