27 Aug 2025

The inaugural Samora Machel Compatriot Marathon launch is slated for Friday to honor the historic  relationship between Botswana and Mozambique.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, the Samora Machel Compatriot Marathon event manager Letsweletse Moshabi said the marathon, scheduled for September 27, 2025 would be held in honour of the first president of Mozambique, Samora Machel who was a Mozambican revolutionary leader and military commander. 

President Machel led the people of Mozambique in the struggle for independence from Portugal in 1975, and spent some time in Lobatse on his way to Tanzania.

Moshabi said the event would take place at the Samora Machel Museum facility located at Peleng Ward in Lobatse on Friday, where local companies and some from other districts would exhibit their products during a market day as part of sensitising the community about the main event.

The marathon, he said was organised as part of Lobatse economic revitalisation initiative through sports. 

Moshabi said it would showcase prime Lobatse heritage sites with emphasis on the role that the town had played in the liberation struggle in the region.  

He further divulged that after the marathon activity, there would be an intercultural festival on the same day at Lobatse Town Park to celebrate the birthday of the late Samora Moisés Machel who was born on  September 29, 1933.

Moshabi said at the main event, a number of Botswana artistes would showcase cultural performances on stage adding that they were expecting three artists from Mozambique to take part and display their culture. 

Thereafter, he said as part of corporate social responsibility, on September 29, there would be a donation to the orphaned, vulnerable and needy members of the community with the assistance of Lobatse Town Council.

He highlighted that the event, which was supported by the Samora Machel family, Mozambique High Commission, Business Botswana, local authorities, and Botswana Athletics Association would start as fun run activity this year and would begin to charge athletes during the 2026 second edition Samora Machel Compatriot Marathon.

“We encourage different running clubs, athletes and community members to register for free this year. We will start it as a fun run this year due to pending logistics with Botswana Athletics Association. 

We will then have an intercultural festival where we will require one to buy a P100 standard ticket, or a P200 VIP ticket,” Moshabi said. 

He emphasised that local economic empowerment would be taken into consideration as the festival would make a provision of allocation of free stalls for Lobatse small micro and medium enterprises in order to boost Lobatse economy.

He said the marathon, which was anticipated to feature in the national annual calendar events would also be launched in Mozambique as well at a later date. Moshabi said The Samora Machel Museum which was commissioned on April 14, 2022, bore testimony to the two countries long-standing historical ties of struggles against political and cultural bondage and the upholding of shared values and principles of democracy. 

Former Mozambique President Machel, died on October 19, 1986 in a plane crash. ENDS