Comrades win earns Tete Dijana R100,000 and paid recovery leave from employer

30 August 2022 - 09:42
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Comrades Marathon winner Tete Dijana received R100,000 from Mi7 director Colin David. The bonus will be split into a cash component of R50,000, with the balance for future training.
Comrades Marathon winner Tete Dijana received R100,000 from Mi7 director Colin David. The bonus will be split into a cash component of R50,000, with the balance for future training.
Image: Supplied

Comrades Marathon winner Tete Dijana has scored a R50,000 cash bonus, R50,000 towards future training and a month’s paid leave to rest.

His employer, Mi7 National Group, on Tuesday announced the reward was in recognition of his outstanding finish in the world's largest and oldest ultra-marathon.

Dijana has been employed as a guard there since 2020. He is stationed at North-West University.

“As a company and an industry as a whole, we are not only extremely proud of Dijana, but also in awe of his tireless dedication, perseverance and diligence in accomplishing this feat. These are the traits on which we place great value in our line of work and are an embodiment of Mi7’s principles. By rewarding such accomplishments, we hope to inspire others to passionately chase their dreams with the same rigour displayed by Dijana,” said director Colin David.

During the handover, Dijana said he was grateful for the “great gesture”.

“This support will keep me on top of my game as I'm already looking forward to next year.”

Meanwhile Mi7 said it had noted “unfortunate” remarks on social media regarding Dijana's leave three months before the race.

“Dijana submitted a formal request for unpaid leave in May this year, citing personal responsibilities. Mi7 guarding supervisors approved the request and were only made aware of Dijana's training in June. Subsequently, Dijana was contacted, his only request being that his deployment at North-West University remain unchanged upon his return,” the group said.

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