At the end of Jono Kruger’s 1,050km run, there was the city mayor waiting with a pot of gold.
Kruger, a township sports activist and former Selborne College teacher and rugby coach, had run from Cape Town to our City Hall lugging letters from local township teens for mayor Princess Faku.
For 25 days he had hauled the 300 letters in his “Coach in a Box” on two wheels.
When his knee caved in halfway, he cried out for help.
“There’s no way I could’ve done this without the Lord. When my body said it was impossible, I had God’s voice telling me I could. That gave me confidence.”
Kruger looked overcome with emotion as the mayor reached into the pot of gold, with the Buffalo City Metro (BCM) committing to:
Donate sports equipment to the programme;
Support his EduSport’s literacy and reading initiatives and align them with the city’s reading programme;
Kruger can submit a formal proposal for all further support;
The city will pay stipends for 10 young coaches beginning January 1;
EduSport may use BCM’s mobile library for literacy and community outreach;
The metro will procure resources on behalf of the organisation as needed; and
A memorandum of understanding will be drafted and submitted to council for approval.
On Tuesday, Kruger jogged along the final metres on Oxford Street with four runners who joined him from Qonce.
As they appeared, his family, friends and supporters – and BCM staff – erupted in cheers.
“Overwhelming,” he said later, referring to the welcome.
Inside the council chambers, mayor Princess Faku and her team were still preparing the room when Kruger arrived.
As he entered, the mayor leapt from her seat and hurried to the doorway.
Kruger immediately warned he was “smelly” after being on the road.
Faku, photographed taking part in the BCM race recently, brushed his protests aside and swept him up in an embrace.
This was her first reaction to his valiant decision to take the long route to bring her letters from Mdantsane youngsters.
After her warm hug, she made a place for him next to her. He was her dignified guest.
Faku then gifted him a set of exquisitely handcrafted Xhosa beads, and an art piece.
She then officially accepted the letters stored inside the Coach in a Box, and pledged to read every single one.
In front of her officials and Kruger’s supporters, Faku proclaimed him to be “the new Madiba”, announced him as her ambassador, and committed municipal support to the youth development initiatives Kruger is championing in Mdantsane.
Kruger, the founder of EduSport Youth, said he believed “every child is a champion in their own right – and every champion needs a coach who will help unlock their full potential”.
“It’s amazing what your body can do if your mind tells it what to do. I’m relieved by how well this initiative was received by the mayor – and we now have actionable solutions.”
His toughest moment came in Storms River, where his Iliotibial (IT) band gave in, a common but debilitating knee injury.
“I could barely stand. But I made the decision to run through it. That moment gave me courage and strength – even through excruciating pain.
“I broke each day into 10 slots and kept telling myself: just tap out the 10.”
Kruger said his strategy was simple, alternating between two pairs of high-quality running shoes and having faith in God.
He said the youth of Mdantsane possessed enormous potential: “We have abilities and skills that need to be unearthed. A coach who cares can open up horizons.”
He said EduSport had already started making an impact in the township, but lacked exposure.
“If I had just asked to meet the mayor, I doubt I would’ve succeeded. The run got her attention. The box became a symbol of hope for me every day.” Rising at 2am daily was another major challenge but his faith got him up and at it.
The mayor said Kruger’s initiative came at the perfect moment: the metro was preparing for budget adjustments in February.
She described Kruger as a remarkable South African and a symbol of “resilience and service”.
She said while the run was an extraordinary physical feat, it was also a powerful statement of community upliftment.
“I know of your philanthropy work and you have a spirit of ubuntu. This is a hero to township kids – he is the new Madiba,” she said.
This was not Kruger’s first endurance-driven fundraiser. In 2022, he ran 300km alongside three grade 12 pupils, raising R660,000 for Ubuko. See Page 3 to find out what the Coach in the Box has to say.
