Rivalry at centre of chainsaw attack

Mhlengi Gwala had one leg cut through to the bone before the attack ended

A senior athletic coach has suggested that 27-year-old Mhlengi Gwala was targeted because of his athletic status.  He compared the assault to the 1994 attack on Nancy Kerrigan, the ice skater, that was later linked to the husband of her rival, Tonya Harding.




Gwala has represented South Africa twice in international competitions. He will now miss the South African Triathlon Championships in two weeks.

The athlete's mobile phone, watch and bike were not taken, suggesting that robbery was not the motive. Gwala told police that the men spoke to each other in a foreign language he did not understand, despite being a fluent speaker of Xhosa, Zulu and English.

Dennis Jackson, director of the Elite Athlete Development programme for KwaZulu-Natal province, said doctors believed that they could save Gwala’s leg because the main artery had not been severed. ''He is a very strong-minded guy and is handling it as best as one can imagine. We are hoping for the best from the surgery and thereafter it’s going to be a long time in rehabilitation to get him strong again.''