FROM Monday 29 January to 3 February, the founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Joseph Shabalala, will be honoured.
The series of events in Shabalala's honour will take place ahead of his second annual marathon, the Joseph Bhekiziwe Shabalala (JBS) Marathon, which will be held in his hometown of Ladysmith in the KZN Midlands on Sunday, February 4.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo will perform alongside other musicians at the festival, which is being held in honour of its founder at Settlers Park in Ladysmith.
The four-race marathon, which is a qualifier for the Two Ocean Marathon and Comrades Marathon, was established in 2023 to honour the founder of five-time Grammy Award winner Joseph, who died on 11 February 2020.
Organiser Vuyo Shabalala told Daily Sun that it will be a week in honour of Joseph Shabalala in his hometown.
"On the first day, we will organise the summit for women and unemployed youth in agriculture where we will promote women and youth in agriculture. On the second day, we will organise a market day where we want to give Ladysmith residents the opportunity to showcase and sell their handicrafts, while the next day we will host the Ingoma Festival," he said.
"The next day we will organise a tourism day where we will visit Ladysmith and its beauty and visit Joseph Shabalala’s grave to lay wreaths. The next day there will be a festival and on Sunday, 4 February, the marathon will follow," he said.
He said the marathon will include a 42km race, a 21km race, a 10km race and a 5km race.
“The winners of the 42km race will receive R35 000 in cash for men and women, the winners of the 21km race will receive R15 000 in cash for men and women, while there will be many prizes in the other races,” he said
