The Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture has responded to the letters written to State President Cyril Ramaphosa, Speaker of the National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and Beauty Dlulane by the National Professional Boxing Promoters Association (NPBPA) on Thursday.
The NPBPA wrote to Ramaphosa, Mapisa-Nqakula and Dlulane, who is the outgoing chairperson of parliament’s portfolio committee on sport, arts and culture, informing them that Kodwa is a ‘rogue’ minister.
Responding to the NPBPA’s letters, the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture said: “The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Mr Zizi Kodwa has noted the letters by lawyers representing the National Professional Boxing Promoters Association (NPBPA) to the President of the Republic of South Africa and the Speaker of the National Assembly.
“The Minister’s view is that the matter is before the court. The Ministry has no intention to act in a manner that could be construed by the court to be ultra vires. The Minister states that these letters are without any substance and that they are an attempt to direct the Minister to whom he should appoint. The department has provided some assistance to Boxing South Africa (BSA) so that the federation can meet critical financial obligations. The Minister is doing everything in his power to ensure that the administration and governance of boxing is returned to normalcy.”
In a letter from Mafani and Company Incorporated, which is dated 01 February 2024, to Ramaphosa, Mapisa-Nqakula and Dlulane, the NPBPA complained about Kodwa ‘undermining’ the Constitution, ‘breaching’ his oath of office and ‘breaching’ code of conduct for members of parliament.
“The Minister’s conduct is viewed by the NPBPA as a deplorable conduct in that he intentionally violated the Constitution when he contravened its provisions entailed in Section 165,” the letter said.
The NPBPA successfully interdicted the new BSA board from taking office in December. The BSA board, which was announced by Kodwa is made up of Sifiso Shongwe, Luxolo September, Sakhiwe Sodo, Romy Titus, Princess Mangoma, Nande Mheshe and Dr Mary-Gene Manthata-Setati.
“It is the NPBPA’s considered view that the Minister’s conduct was aimed at undermining the honourable court’s judicial authority by misleading the court on his undertaking in directing the parties on the proceedings to follow only to, when it’s too late for the NPBPA as the applicant to do anything about it, retract and/or revoke his understanding and defy this honourable court’s directive,” the letter to Ramaphosa further stated.
