Steve Mkasi threatens to “shoot” child in street fight

Here’s a second video of Steve Mkasi hunting down and getting ready to assault Best of the Best race director Sphephelo Ndlovu. The footage was taken shortly before the widely circulated video of Mkasi and Ndlovu rolling around on the street. Once again, the video quality is very poor. This is understandable because the cameraman is a 14-year-old kid whom Mkasi has just threatened, telling him, “If you take a video I’ll shoot you.”

READ MORE: KZNA Launches Fight Club: Steve Mkasi stalks and assaults athlete over Facebook comment

This according to Sphephelo Ndlovu who disputes what appears to be a delusional claim from Mkasi reported on IOL that it was just a tussle over car keys. Mkasi is quoted as saying, “I can’t deny the argument I had with the man was tense. He left his car engine on in the middle of the road. I then went to it, switched it off, and took the keys with me. He then tripped me from behind. I fell on the ground, and he was searching for his car keys on me. He found it and then drove off. No fight, nothing. No one fought there”.

If you believe that you’ll believe anything.

The new video directly contradicts Mkasi’s version of events that he came across a random car idling in the road and did his civic duty by switching off the engine. The video shows Mkasi (dressed in black with bright yellow-orange carbon-plated running shoes) aggressively approaching Ndlovu and threatening him. Ndlovu can be heard saying to onlookers, “Please take a video.”

Mkasi’s account also contradicts a phone recording earlier that Saturday where he says in isiZulu, “Don’t tell me I am threatening you. You can send me your location; I can come to you so that we can see who is threatening who between the two of us.” Ndlovu gives Mkasi his address, Mkasi arrives a short while later and a street fight ensues.

I have also confirmed with Ama Ravens chair, Mthoko Khuzwayo, that Mkasi had phoned him earlier in the day complaining about Ndlovu’s comments that Mkasi was a “bully”. This was the latest in a long-standing battle over race dates on the KZNA calendar that goes back to 2023. According to Khuzwayo and Ndlovu, Mkasi has consistently and persistently tried to intimidate and bully them.

Mkasi’s telephonic actions would violate strict World Athletics rules on safeguarding but his stalking and arrival at Ndlovu’s place of residence takes violation of safeguarding protocols to a new level. The pre-mediated nature of the assault would also be viewed in a very serious light if charges are pressed against Mkasi.

Allegations of violence from Mkasi’s past have resurfaced. A 2019 Labour Court judgment (Case D657/2019) confirmed that Mkasi, then a KZN Health official, faced three misconduct charges (including an assault allegation against a colleague). Mkasi obtained a court interdict pausing the disciplinary hearing pending review. This stopped the process procedurally. A Sunday Tribune investigation (4 Aug 2019) documented a separate, earlier dispute at eThekwini Municipality involving alleged supply-chain irregularities and states that Mkasi resigned before a pre-dismissal hearing could proceed.

According to Khuzwayo, Mkasi also tried to get him to provide Ndlovu’s contact number. Khuzwayo confirmed that he did not provide Ndlovu’s number so it is not clear how Mkasi was able to obtain the number and whether he abused his position as president of KZNA in doing so.

Ironically, earlier on the Saturday on which the incident occurred, Mkasi arrived at a KZNA organized coaching course and gave a lecture on ethics and integrity.

Both Khuzwayo and Ndlovu confirmed that the dispute with Mkasi and resultant street fight were directly related to the scheduling of the popular Durban-based Best of the Best Marathon who’d been removed from their regular slot so that they did not compete with Mkasi’s Capital City Marathon in Pietermaritzburg. This appears to be another flagrant abuse of presidential power by Mkasi.

Ndlovu confirmed with me that after the incident there were negotiations “To not release the clips”. Although he could not confirm the amount, the proposed agreement included a reinstating Best of the Best Marathon on the KZNA calendar, “giving us the date 28 Feb 2027” (their traditional race date) and “monetary compensation”. However, when the video leaked on Sunday evening “Negotiations collapsed”.

Mkasi’s club, Phuma AC, still owes R386,000 to KZNA relating to a 2015 court case where Mkasi, before he was on the KZNA executive and acting on behalf of Phuma AC, lost a court battle against KZNA. A cost order was issued but has never been paid. This means that Phuma AC is not a club in good standing within KZNA and should not be allowed to attend and vote at council meetings or host a marathon. That they have been allowed to do so is another blatant example of the very selective application and enforcement of rules within Mkasi’s KZNA.

READ MORE: Time for Mkasi to “Pay Back the Money” to KZNA?

Notably, the provisional 2027 KZNA race calendar was distributed this week and both the Best of the Best and Comrades Marathons were missing from the schedule. However, it is certain that the 100^th Comrades Marathon will take place on 13 June 2027, with or without sanction from KZNA and ASA. Whether the Best of the Best Marathon takes place is more doubtful as it is understood that sponsors have become nervous over the fight with Mkasi.

Another marathon missing from the calendar is the once tremendously popular Mandela Day Marathon which was run from Pietermaritzburg to the capture site in Howick. In 2019, the race had 27,000 entrants across all distances but has subsequently completely disappeared off the calendar amongst political infighting and petty squabbling between Mkasi’s KZNA and other stakeholders. One would have thought that KZNA and ASA’s time would be better spent resurrecting this event rather than playing silly buggers with well-run, established events.

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