Donations stream in for Mhlengi Gwala

Crowdfunding for triathlete, Mhlengi Gwala, has passed the R700 000 mark, with 1 650 generous people opening their hearts to donate money towards his medical fees, transportation‚ bike replacement and rehabilitation costs, Berea Mail reports.

READ MORE: South Africans rally round stricken triathlete

Gwala, 26, underwent a successful five-hour operation to repair damage to his lower right leg last week, after he was attacked by three men while cycling.

The men cut into his legs with a chainsaw. Luckily, a Fidelity Security guard came to Gwala’s rescue and rushed him to hospital.

“Officer Themba Gumede was driving along Rick Turner Road on Tuesday morning just after 3am, when he saw a person along the side of the road waving a torch light at him. When he stopped his car, he saw Mr Gwala who told our officer that he had just been attacked,” explained Francois Bartmann, regional executive for Fidelity Security.

Gumede immediately transported him to Albert Luthuli Hospital where Gwala received medical assistance.

 “It is heart-warming though to see how the public has rallied to his aid to raise funds for his medical treatment. This spirit of ‘ubuntu’ is our secret weapon in the fight against crime, and I thank everyone who has pledged money,” said Bartmann.

Umbilo SAPS has confirmed the matter is under investigation.

Damian Bradley, the organiser of the MiWayLife Durban Ultra Triathlon that doubled as the SA Ultra Triathlon Championships that Gwala took part in on 4 March, said he had spoken to him on Tuesday and that he would be discharged from hospital next week.

“It’s really too early to tell, but the operation went very well and doctors reattached his nerves. His medical team is optimistic about his chances of recovery and Mhlengi is very positive and says he is tired of being in hospital already,” he said.

Gwala’s recovery will be overseen by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport and Recreation-backed Elite Athlete Development Programme (EADP), of which he has been a member since 2016.  Team South Africa’s Olympic doctor Kevin Subban visited him in his Durban hospital on Thursday to guide his recovery and rehabilitation plans.

Mhlengi has regained feeling in his right foot following the operation.

“Holding him in good stead is his pre-conditioning. He is fit and healthy which we hope will help him,” he added.

Subban said Gwala’s strong character would be an asset in his recovery.

SA Olympic Team doctor Kevin Subban visits triathlete Mhlengi Gwala in hospital where he is recovering from a saw attack while on an early morning training ride. Subban and the KZN Elite Athlete Development Programme will oversee Gwala’s recovery
PHOTO: Supplied/Gameplan Media

Gwala’s recovery and rehabilitation will be driven by the EADP team at Prime Human Performance Institute based at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium.

“The positive is that the muscles will heal faster but the concern is the neural side. The nerves will take longer to heal and sometimes they don’t heal 100%. That, in my opinion, is our greatest concern at this stage,” Subban explained.

“Mhlengi is fortunate to have a world class team looking after him through the EADP. Doc Kevin Subban is positive, and there is a team of biokineticists and physios that will be there for him every step of the way,” Bradley added.

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