By Monwabisi Jimlongo
It’s now just over three months since Mandla Ntlanganiso was suspended as Boxing South Africa (BSA) director of operations and he still doesn’t know as to whether he will ever be charged or not.
Ntlanganiso, who joined BSA in January last year, is yet to receive a charge sheet since he was suspended on the 10th of August. He got suspended after a number of run-ins with BSA mandarins over how the fistic sport should be administered.
In fact, a plan to kick Ntlanganiso out was set in motion way before the BSA board sent a letter asking him to state why he shouldn’t be suspended.
“There’s no change in my status. I’m still suspended without having been charged. This process should have been concluded in 30 days as per the LRA,” Ntlanganiso said.
Ntlanganiso’s rights as an employee have somehow been violated now that he has not been charged in more than 90 days.
Clause 8.2(c) of the Labour Relations Act on precautionary suspension says: “If an employee is suspended or transferred as a precautionary measure, the employer must hold a disciplinary hearing within a month or 60 days, depending on the complexity of the matter and the length of the investigation. The chairperson of the hearing must decide on any further postponement.”
Ntlanganiso’s suspension was accelerated following a blunder, which was committed by BSA’s provincial manager in the Eastern Cape Phakamile Jacobs four months ago.
Jacobs’ failure to tally score cards correctly resulted in Eldorado Park boxer Melissa Miller being declared a winner during her fight against Sharadene Fortuin from Seymour in a South African female bantamweight title contest at the East London International Convention Centre (ICC) in July.
It then took BSA three days to change the initial outcome of the fight into a draw something which didn’t go down well with many people in the boxing fraternity.
Meanwhile, our efforts to get comments from either BSA board chairman Luthando Jack or the regulator’s spokesperson Azwitamisi Nthangeni failed. Jack didn’t pick up his phone and a call to Nthangeni didn’t go through despite numerous attempts.
