Siya Zingelwa, Khangelani Jack, Thembani Gopheni and Phumzile Matyhila have received their comeuppance after they sneaked out of the country with boxers to fight in Tanzania last December.
However, Boxing South Africa (BSA) has been very lenient to them as they got off lightly with something like a slap on the wrist.
“The issue of the managers who went to Tanzania without authorisation has since been concluded by BSA,” acting BSA chief executive officer Tsholofelo Lejaka revealed.
According to Lejaka, the managers were given a three months licence suspension and were also ordered to make a public apology.
On the other hand, the boxers – Asemahle Wellem, Lusizo Manzana and Sihle Jelwana – have all received final written warnings. This means that they would be suspended should they commit the same offence again.
Apart from receiving final written warnings, the boxers were ordered to do community service at their respective local areas where they will be monitored and must also make public apologies.
The managers and the boxers have also been ordered to undergo training on Boxing SA’s rules and regulations.
“This is a gross contravention of BSA rules and regulations and we hope that managers and boxers will learn a lesson out of this. We encourage all licensees to abide by Boxing SA regulatory framework and bring professionalism as required,” Lejaka concluded.
By fighting in Tanzania on Boxing Day, the boxers violated clause 16 (1) of the regulations, which says “any boxer who wishes to fight abroad shall either personally or through his or her agent or manager apply in writing to Boxing SA, at least 21 days prior to his or her proposed departure from the Republic, for authorisation to do so”.
And 16 (2) says that any application contemplated in subregulation (1) shall contain the details of the overseas contract, details of the opponent, authenticated boxing records of the opponent, a copy of the contract and details of the purse monies to be paid to the boxer as well as confirmation that the boxer will be accompanied by his or her manager or agent or that appropriate arrangements have been made for the boxer to be accompanied while abroad by a person, who is duly licensed with the boxing commission of the country in which the boxer will fight abroad.
But upon returning home, no medical examinations were conducted on the boxers as per clauses 16.4 (a) and (b), which say BSA may ask a boxer to submit himself or herself to a medical examination before departure and after returning from abroad.
Meanwhile, Wellem lost to Frank Shagembe Katwila, Manzana was beaten by Ibrahim Mafia whose full name is Ibrahim Mustafa Kodema and Jelwana suffered a defeat in a fight against Hussein Amiri Chaubaya popularly known as Kalolo Amiri.
Just over two weeks before facing Shagembe, Wellem was stopped in the eighth round by Conor Wallace in Australia. And Wellem should have been serving the compulsory three months instead of engaging in another fight just 18 days after being stopped by Wallace.
A month earlier, Jelwana suffered a first round stoppage loss to Tanzanian boxer Mchanja Yohana Bakari something which meant that he should have been serving 90 days when he returned to Tanzania to face Kalolo.
Wellem and Jelwana didn’t only violate clause 16(1), they also broke clause 10(1) as they didn’t serve the automatic 90-day suspension.
On the other hand, Jelwana was a repeat offender, having fought in Russia against Armenian boxer Rufat Huseynov without getting a clearance from BSA in August 2021.
