The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has intervened in the case of Bongani Mahlangu, who is yet to receive his belt six months after his win over Ayabonga Sonjica at a Rumble Africa Promotions (RAP) tournament in July last year.
Mahlangu shocked East London boxing followers when he stopped then unbeaten Sonjica in the sixth round to win the South African and IBF Continental Africa junior-featherweight titles at the Orient Theatre.
To date, the Boipatong-born Mahlangu is yet to receive his IBF belt six months after his win over Sonjica.
“The story from the beginning is that Sonjica is a Rumble boxer and Bongani is not. When there’s a new champion, the promoter has to pay for a new belt. The belt then gets sent to me, I then hand it over to the boxer,” IBF representative in Africa Andre de Vries said.
“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen after getting hold of Rumble Africa. Initially, they said they didn’t have an invoice, I sent it to them.”
Seeing that the 43-year-old Mahlangu is still not in possession of his belt, De Vries wrote to the IBF asking for its intervention.
“I wrote to the IBF president Daryl Peoples and copied the championship chairman Carlos Ortiz. The IBF president has said that he’s going to send me for Mahlangu. Today (Thursday) I sent my address to the IBF so that they can send the belt to me. I have spoken to Sandile (Mahlangu) telling him that when the belt arrives I will arrange to meet at Colin Nathan’s gym,” De Vries said.
Sandile Mahlangu, who is Mahlangu’s manager, said: “Andre called me with the good news. I’m very happy that Bongani is going to get his belt. I’m grateful to Andre for what he did for us.”
