The Cool Down Lap: Sifiso Themba

Generally speaking, South African ambassadors are not people you would want to associate with. Over the last 10 years or so, this country’s embassies have become dumping grounds for corrupt government officials who stole blatantly and got caught, but were buddies of the President. Rather than doing the unthinkable and forcing the scumbags to account for their actions, our powers that sadly be would quietly promote them to obscure embassies.

There they can vegetate in taxpayer-sponsored luxury, until retiring on fat taxpayer-sponsored pensions. Disgusting, but we have found an ambassador of much different ilk. Sifiso Themba is a motorcycle racer. He is black, 38 years old, and has just been signed as a team-mate to multiple South African Superbike champion Clinton Seller, in the King Price Xtreme equipe.

Sifiso’s declared intention this year and in the future is to be an ambassador for two-wheeler racing among black motorcycle owners. “There are many black motorcyclists out there, but very few black racers. I want to change the perception that motorbike racing is just a white sport,’ he says.

He points to his own arrival in the racing arena as proof that track competition is not the far-off dream that many people perceive it as Sifiso, an IT manager, rode a motorcycle for the very first time only seven years ago. He loved it, bought a Kawasaki ZX10R, and soon found riding it fast on public roads a very frightening experience.

“It is as if you become invisible. Motorists simply do not see you and I became very aware of the fact that I would come off second best in any altercation with another vehicle,” he says. What to do, if you have a really fast machine, every inclination to stretch its legs and nowhere to do so in relative safety?

Sifiso went trackside – more specifically, to the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria, where he participated in various of their open track days for motorcyclists. On a given Wednesday, he was spotted by Johan Fourie, the main administrator of South African motorcycle racing.

“This guy stood out – he could really ride and obviously had natural talent. That is a rare thing and I went to the pits to chat to him,” Fourie says. “I pointed out that he already had a motorcycle suited to the Red Square Kawasaki Masters Cup and that his age – then 31 – made him an ideal contestant.”

Fourie kept badgering Themba to swap the road for the track over the next few years. Meanwhile some of the Kawasaki Masters Cup riders helped to school him in the finer nuances of cornering lines, braking points, and the myriad things that set racers apart from road riders in terms of pace.

Themba’s first official race took place in January 2017 at the Zwartkops Raceway and he soon graduated to midfield placings among grids of 25 or more vastly experienced riders. ”I am always thinking about how I can improve, both on and off the track,” Sifiso says. “‘Racing has not only improved my abilities on the tar, but it has helped me in terms of discipline, patience and concentration.”

A huge milestone came at the beginning of this year, when the King Price Xtreme racing team, led by Seller, approached Sifiso with an offer to race under their umbrella this season. “He has talent, determination and style – with our assistance, a bit more seat time and some coaching, I think he should be able to run among the top five places of the Kawasaki Masters Cup grid,” predicts Seller.

Which brings us back to his ambassador role. “I speak to motorcycle owners and point out that riding to a race circuit is a lot more dangerous than riding on a race circuit,” Sifiso says. “Also, it is a much larger thrill, in a safer arena, while the great camaraderie among the racers is another huge reward.”

His two daughters, Sini and Norma, love the racing, and accompany Sifiso to circuits whenever possible. “There are various programmes to actively promote motorcycle racing participation among previously disadvantaged kids,” adds Fourie. “We point out Sifiso as a role model to the youngsters. His motto of always trying to be better than you were the race before should serve them well.”

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.