Sarah Mahlangu in her heyday after winning the Two Oceans Marathon, flanked by Grace de Oliveira (third) and Maria Bak (second) File. South African road running legend Sarah Mahlangu is out of intensive care and ‘doing well’ at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital. Seen here: Sarah Mahlangu in her heyday after winning the Two Oceans Marathon, flanked by Grace de Oliveira (third) and Maria Bak (second). Picture: Rogan Ward
South African road running legend Sarah Mahlangu is out of intensive care and ‘doing well’ at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital after being shot at her tavern in the East Rand over the weekend.
According to Mahalgu’s son Thabo, the multiple Soweto Marathon champion and Comrades Marathon gold medallist was shot during an attempted robbery at her tavern in Tsakane on Saturday.
Speaking to Independent Media on Wednesday, the son said his mother ‘is much better at the moment and I’ve been able to talk to her a little’
“She was shot twice through the neck and chest but fortunately there was not too much damage done. And the doctors ended up not doing the operation to remove the bullet because from their point of view taking it out might be more dangerous.”
While the family have opened a case at the Tsakane Police Station, they are yet to be in further contact with the law enforcers to find out what the progress is on then investigation.
“I have not spoken to them since we opened the case, but we will be going there later to check. We have just got information from the community and some people have said they recognise who the perpetrators are. Apparently they were seen at another place after the incident and I’ve heard that the police have arrested a few guys on Saturday, not sure if it is related to the case,” Thabo said.
A call to the Tsakane Police Station bore no fruit, with the police officer on the other side of the line saying ‘We are not allowed to share any information with the media’ and refusing to give out the contact details of the station’s spokesperson.
Mahlangu is arguably one of the best black female runners this country has ever produced, the 57-year-old having won numerous races in the early 2000s. Arguably her biggest accomplishment is the fact that she won the Soweto Marathon a record four times.
She was only the second black woman to finish in the top ten of the Comrades Marathon when she obtained seventh position with a time of 6:53:41 in 2002. Before her, the only other black woman to have earned the gold medal was Nhlanhla Hlengwa who finished ninth in 7:21:22 back in 1993.
Mahlangu was also champion in the 56km Two Oceans Marathon in 2000 in a time of 3:48:58 having finished in third place the previous year. An ultra specialist, she won the 50km Om Die Dam Marathon in 2003 and was always competent in the now defunct City2City ultras, finishing in fourth place on at least three occasions.
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