The uncertainty caused by the impasse between the National Professional Boxing Promoters Association (NPBPA) and the Minister of Sport Zizi Kodwa has resulted in tournaments in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)and Gauteng being postponed indefinitely or cancelled.
NPBPA, led by promoter Ayanda Matiti, successfully interdicted the new board of Boxing South Africa (BSA) in December last year. The promoters cited Kodwa’s “failure” to consult them, which the Boxing Act requires him to do before appointing and announcing a new board.
With everything at a standstill, Kodwa has come out to give a glimmer of hope about the way forward and said that he was contemplating a number of options while we are dealing with the issue of the main application of the court ruling.
In KZN, two promoters, Lightning Promotions, and Hle-Jobe Promotions, have been forced to cancel and postpone, respectively, their tournaments that were scheduled for this month.
Promoter Balungile Kotelo had put together a KZN vacant mini flyweight between Siphelele Myeza, a former Commonwealth title challenger, and Thami Luthuli.
On the undercard would have been Ayanda Mthembu up against Ntsako Miyambo in the middleweight clash.
The event was supposed to have taken place this past weekend in KwaMashu.
This weekend (February 17), Hle-Jobe Promotions had planned to stage two international title fights for the fight-starved community of Estcourt, a small town in the rural KZN Midlands.
Mxolisi Zuma was scheduled to defend his World Boxing Federation (WBF)Intercontinental junior featherweight against Ramadhan Abdallah Milonzhi from Tanzania.
Lindelani Sibisi would have collided against Milonzhi countryman Ally Said in the WBF Intercontinental featherweight clash. Both fights were
scheduled for 10 rounds.
Nkosingiphile Sibisi was meant to engage with Trevor Nghonyama in a flyweight duel, which, according to promoter Hlengiwe Dladla, was to gauge Sibisi’s readiness to challenge for the national title currently held by Jackson Chauke.
Zuma and the Sibisis are groomed at the famed Dundee Boxing Club, which has produced Phiwokuhle “Ben 10” Mnguni, who made the country proud by returning with a bronze medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022.
KZN Boxing Promoters Association chairperson Sandile Vilakazi confirmed the latest developments. Vilakazi called on the NPBPA and the minister to find each other and settle the matter out of court.
Also concerned about her upcoming tournament on March 2 in Durban is promoter Nomvelo Magcaba-Shezi.
Her Mvelo Promotions intends to stage a WBC silver title fight between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu and Yamil Alberto Peralta Jara from Argentina.
The 2023 Aspiring Promoter of the Year said: “I have a big headache now because sponsors are beginning to have doubts about the tournament. We worked hard to convince them to come on board because they wanted assurance that the tournament would be broadcast.
“I am keeping my fingers crossed that things fall into place soon,” said Magcaba-Shezi.
Should the KZN tournament end up not taking place, promoters will be hurt.
The provincial sports arts and culture departments annually sets aside money to fund boxing tournaments, and failure to stage boxing tournaments will result in the promoters forfeiting the money as it will be returned to the provincial government.
In Gauteng, Golden Gloves Promotions (GGP) has been forced to postpone its tournament to next month. It was pencilled in for the Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park on Saturday, March 9. International Boxing Organisation (IBO) junior bantamweight champion Ricardo Malajika is scheduled to make his first defence against Marcel Braithwaite from the United Kingdom.
On the same bill, Rossouw and Brandon Thysse were set to collide for the IBO All-Africa junior-middleweight clash. GGP boss Rodney Berman said the current state of
boxing makes it impossible to plan properly.
The veteran promoter is hopeful that by April, order will have been restored. He has slated April 6 as the possible date for the postponed tournament if things go back to normal in South African boxing.
