ATHLETICS: Supermoms Walaza and Malungane are moulding SA’s sports starlets

Bayanda Walaza is one of the most exciting young athletes on the global track and field circuit, a double junior world champion in the 100m and 200m. His compatriot, Tiisetso Malungane, has been dominating his peers in middle-distance running and it’s predicted he will continue to rewrite history. Both young runners have one thing in common – they were primarily moulded by single mothers to reach the levels they have reached in athletics. Walaza’s mother, Tholiwe Walaza (47), had to step up after his father was shot dead – in front of him – during an argument. Bayanda, who is now 20, was just 10 years old. “I was afraid that he might seek revenge for what had happened to his father, to maybe seek out the culprits. “So it was very important for me to be a present mom. To be alongside him and to show him a parent’s love to ease his pain,” Tholiwe told Daily Maverick. “I even took him to counselling to ensure that he heals properly and does not drown in the resentment of how he lost his father.” Catherine Malungane’s sacrifice Tiisetso (16) was raised in similar circumstances by his mother, Catherine Malungane. His father distanced himself from the pair soon after Tiisetso was born, leaving Catherine to mostly fend for herself. She was already an established long-distance runner herself, specialising in marathons, half-marathons and road running. “I had to take him with me to training because there was no one who could look after him. Then he would cry and chase me around the field, crying, while I [was] training,” Catherine told Daily Maverick. “Then one day I noticed that there is talent here. Whenever he would cross the field to come to me, he would cross so fast. Especially for a three-year-old.” However, it became increasingly difficult to juggle training and competing at the highest level alongside being a present mother, which meant she had to sacrifice one. For the 44-year-old, walking away from competing so she could focus on motherhood and nurturing her son’s evident talent was not easy. Nevertheless, she did it. “It was very difficult for me, because my sacrifice for Tiisetso to be where he is was both with time and my personal ambitions,” explained Catherine. “But I have no regret at all for the sacrifices I have made as a mother. “Now he is breaking national records and he was also a finalist at the 2026 U20 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, US. He ran a personal best time, despite being unwell. He struggled to adjust to the conditions in the US. Regardless, he showed that he has a future in SA athletics – at the age of 16. I believe at the 2028 Championships we can bring back a medal,” she said, proudly. In June, at the Curro Street Mile, Tiisetso ran the fastest mile ever recorded by a 16-year-old on African soil. The teenager, who studies at Curro Hazeldean, stopped the clock at 4:03.85. That time was another achievement in a season in which he had already set several new South African age-group milestones. Over a 12-month span, he has broken multiple South African U16 and U17 records across the 800m, 1,500m and 3,000m events, capturing Athletics South Africa age-group titles. Tholiwe Walaza’s pride Bayanda, who was also moulded by Curro Hazeldean before he matriculated in 2024, was just as exciting in his teenage years. His mother, who works at a local supermarket, said watching her son help South Africa win a 4x100m relay silver medal at the Paris Olympics was the highlight so far of a winding journey for the two of them. “I’m proud of the young man he is and of his achievements in athletics. I’m always in awe of his dedication and discipline in everything that he does,” she said. “What he did at the 2024 Paris Olympics, for example… That was a massive achievement in my eyes, especially considering his age at the time. But through his dedication and with God by his side, he succeeded. That’s when I realised that Bayanda is something else.” It was a busy year for Bayanda. In 2024 he was in matric; he was preparing for the Olympics and he claimed a memorable 100m and 200m gold medal haul at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Peru. The balancing act was not a coincidence, said his mother. When she realised that her son loved sport – and was extremely good at it – she drilled into him that his sporting ambitions came second to education. He was about nine years old and spent a large chunk of his time running, playing soccer and practising karate. “I gave him an ultimatum and told him to pull up his socks in terms of his books, or he would not be allowed to do sports anymore… I told him that school was not optional and if he wanted to do sports, he must find a balance. Since then, he has never looked back,” Tholiwe said. Ruta Sechaba contribution Both mothers heavily credit the Ruta Sechaba Foundation for creating opportunities for their sons that they may not have been able to afford as single mothers. The non-profit organisation, which is based in Cape Town, identifies bright, motivated achievers who consistently deliver academic and sporting excellence despite their socioeconomic disadvantages, and offers them scholarships. Catherine, who is an athletics coach at Curro Hazeldean, is deliberate about paying this support forward. Tiisetso is her only child, but she fosters a number of other children who she also coaches. It caused some strain in their relationship when she met her fiancé, she said, but he had grown to understand this dynamic and was now extremely supportive. “I used to run barefoot. I did not even have running clothes. So when I think about where I come from, and if one child wants to stay with me so I can help them with better opportunities [I will]. Because I know that it is very tough. No matter how talented you are, if you don’t have a support system, your talent won’t take you anywhere. I love children; I don’t want to see them suffer,” Catherine said. First and foremost, they are strict mothers, they claim. However, they take pride in their contribution to raising SA’s young sports stars. Both preach a message of support, win or lose, and extremely strong faith. It’s a recipe that has worked exceptionally well for them; they are raising humble and respectful young men who are flying the South African flag high. DM Comments Scroll down to load comments...