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occurred on the eve of the race.
The man who witnessed that altercation, however, still feel Muzhingi could make a huge comeback and win a fourth Comrades title tomorrow.
Muzhingi finished sixth in the 89km ultra marathon, after having won the race for three years in a row, and The Herald can exclusively reveal that he was not focussed for the big race because of a domestic row.
His former manager, Cliff Chinasamy, yesterday revealed that the athlete missed the 2012 jackpot because his focus had been distracted.
Chinasamy said Muzhingi’s wife Erina slapped the athlete after a row over how the potential windfall from the Comrades would be disbursed.
The ugly incident led the athletics coach and the athlete going separate ways and Muzhingi is now working with Craig Fry as his manager.
Yesterday Chinasamy made stunning revelations that Muzhingi fought with his wife Erina over how the potential earnings were going to be used.
“I parted ways with Muzhingi at last year’s Comrades marathon. He is no longer part of the athletes at my Bluff Meats team,” said Chinasamy.
“He is a very powerful athlete and I had coached him to three Comrades titles but there was an ugly incident last year when his wife had a fight with him over his earnings.
“I was his manager and thought we should do this in a professional manner but his wife then slapped him.
“Since that incident I told him that we cannot work together properly if his wife continues to come and interfere in our work.”
South African athlete, Ludwick Mamobolo, won the race last year but his victory was tainted by suspicions that he had used some banned drugs. Muzhingi came sixth, almost seven minutes behind the winner.
“He could have won the race but as I said he had a fight with his wife and that distracted him a bit,” said Chinasamy.
“But he has a chance to win again this year.
“I have worked with him for over three years and I know his fitness levels better than anyone else. He has a great chance.
“We are still friends and I am sure his wife has now changed for the better.” Muzhingi will also have to shrug off competition from Moses Njodzi, the Harare Athletics Club runner, who is now attached to Formula 1 Bluff Meats. The Zimbabwean duo of Point Chaza and Peter Mavura are at Bluff Meats while veteran Marko Mambo, the unheralded Ephraim Kambambaira, Shepherd Maziriri and Sipho Ncube have entered the race.
According to Harare Athletics Club coach Aaron Whyte, who travelled with some of the athletes to Durban for the race, the Zimbabwean contingent is in a buoyant mood ahead of tomorrow’s race.
“There are over 25 athletes from Zimbabwe whom I know have entered and I think one of them will win the race.
“It’s an up run and chances are high that one of the Zimbabweans will win because they are very good on the up run,” said Whyte. Top female runner Tabitha Tsatsa, Martin Mbofana, Stewart Gemil and Ticha Matanda are expected to make part of the field of nearly 19 000 runners.
Online Reporter