Emva kokuwiswa kathathu ngaphambi kokuba usompempe uLulama Mtya angenelele, awuchithe umlo wakhe noSiyabulela ‘Showtime’ Hem e-Orient Theatre, eMonti, ngokuhlwa kwangoMgqibelo, uBongani ‘Wonderboy’ Mahlangu usazalela entla nangoku, esithi akakazukuwayeka amanqindi, uzakuqhubela phambili esilwa.
Eneneni uMahlangu, oneminyaka engamashumi amane anesihlanu, ubonakalisile kulo mlo ukuba iminyaka ihambile. Ibibuthathaka indlela abezikhusela ngayo, nto ke leyo ebangele ukuba angene onke amanqindi kaHem, emwisa kathathu de uMtya wanyanzeleka ayichithe kumjikelo wesithathu lempinda yomlo wentshinga yoMzantsi Afrika kudidi lwejunior-featherweight.
“Ndibethiwe, kodwa andiyazi ukuba kwenzeke ntoni na kanye, kanye. Ndirhanela ukuba kusetyenziswe iyeza,” utshilo uMahlangu, owayiphumelela izihlandlo ezimbini intshinga yoMzantsi Afrika kudidi lwejunior-featherweight.
Lenzalelwane yaseBoipatong kuNxantathu weLikwa, enqunyanyiswe yimbethi-manqindi eneminyaka engamashumi amabini ananye, yongeze ngelithi: “Andinikezeli, andizokuyeka ukulwa. Ndimxelele uHem ukuba ndizakubuya emva kweenyanga ezintathu zokumiswa kwam. Ndiyayazi ukuba ndingayenza kwakhona lento.”
Emva kokubethwa kwakhe, uMahlangu owathabatha inxaxheba kwimidlalo ye-Olimpiki yango-2004, ngoku sele ephumelele imilo engamashumi amabini anesithandathu, enqumamise amadoda alishumi elinesine, wabethwa kwimilo elishumi elinambini. UMahlangu ubethwe kuyo yomithathu imilo yakhe yokugqibela. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
