Veteran long-distance runner Jane Mudau is turning her passion for endurance sport into a powerful statement against the abuse of the elderly. The 62-year-old athlete from Maniini, near Thohoyandou, plans to complete a gruelling 140km solo run to draw attention to the rise in violence and neglect targeting older people.
Still competitive on the road — she recently finished eighth in the 42km Thavhani Mall Golden Oldies race — Mudau said running had become her platform to speak out. She will set off from the Lesly Manyathela Stadium in Musina on 27 November, overnight in Wylliespoort and continue to Thohoyandou the next day, with her final leg scheduled to end at Thavhani Mall on Saturday, 29 November.
Mudau said she was deeply affected by recent attacks on elderly community members. "Day in and day out, we are bombarded by news of the elderly being killed or suffering the worst form of abuse. Not long ago, we had one of our own killed at Maniini. As if that was not enough, yet another gogo was brutally killed by a relative at Itsani. The list is endless. This is becoming too much, and we cannot just sit and watch while lives are lost. We all have to stand up and say enough is enough. If we speak with one voice, we might be able to stop the tide," she said.
For Mudau, the problem is not only violence but emotional and economic exploitation. "The elderly are going through a lot. They are forced to stay at home, caring for their grandchildren while their mothers go out partying at taverns. Their social grants are taken against their will and they end up as prisoners in their own homes," she said.
She hopes her run will spark conversations along the route and encourage more people to intervene. "Wherever I stop on the road, I will be preaching the same gospel. I also expect the community at large to speak with one voice and together we will get rid of this scourge that is threatening to tear communities apart. I am hard at training and will finish the distance without any hurdles," she said.
Mudau began running in 1997 and has collected numerous accolades, including winning the masters category of the Two Oceans Marathon in 2014.