An African Zone VI Marathon Championships was also held on one occasion in 1989. It was hosted by Swaziland in Mbabane and the hosts won both the men's individual and team titles, led by Tom Dlamini in 2:24:34 hours.
The competition programme features 34 regular athletics events: seven track running events, two obstacle events, three jumps, three throws, and two relays for both the sexes.[1]
A men's 20K run was included in 1987 and 1989. A men's decathlon was held in 1990 and in 1989 a men's nonathlon (no pole vault) and women's heptathlon was held. A men's 5000 metres race walk was contested in 1990. Men's pole vault was held on three occasions only, and women never competed in this event. A women's 400 m hurdles was first held in 1989 and a women's triple jump was introduced in 1995. For the first four editions, women competed in the 3000 metres rather than the standard 5000 m. A women's 4 × 200 metres relay was held once in 1989.[1]
