Former acting Boxing South Africa (BSA) chief executive officer Erick Nsikayezwe Sithole is challenging Minister of Sport Zizi Kodwa’s appointment of Mandla Ntlanganiso as BSA accounting authority.
Ntlanganiso, who was suspended by the previous BSA board in August last year, was reinstated to his job as director of operations by the new board in December. He was then elevated to acting BSA CEO before the board got interdicted by the National Professional Boxing Promoters Association (NPBPA).
On the other hand, Sithole was not only the acting boss of the now penniless BSA, he was also a member of the boxing regulator’s previous board, which was led by Luthando Jack as its chairperson.
“I have taken note of the court case between the promoters and the Minister and have had no reason to comment. However, whilst I resisted commenting on the legality or otherwise of the uplifting of the suspension and appointment of Mr Ntlanganiso as acting CEO by the new board, his recent appointment as accounting authority by the Minister leaves me with no option but to comment as I deem it in the public interest to do so. I believe that both the new board and the Minister have acted unlawfully,” Sithole said in an affidavit dated 5 March 2024.
Sithole revealed in the affidavit that Ntlanganiso was suspended on 10 August last year as he faced ‘serious’ allegations like gross dishonesty or fraud, gross negligence, gross insubordination, contravention of sections of the Boxing Act, improper and unacceptable conduct.
He also added that the previous BSA board only wanted to charge Ntlanganiso almost four months after his suspension something which goes against the Labour Relations Act’s Clause 8.2(c) on precautionary suspension: “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.”
Sithole further stated in the affidavit: “In light of the above I wish to express serious concern with the contravention of the rule of law and inteference with the disciplinary hearing of Mr Ntlanganiso by the new board and the Minister.”
