Boxing South Africa (BSA) chief executive officer Tsholofelo Lejaka has spoken out about the serious financial and legal implications of boxers, managers and promoters who operate without valid, written and BSA-registered contracts.
Even though Lejaka didn’t mention any specific cases, the matter where Xaba Promotions boss Ayanda Matiti objected to world title hopeful Landile ‘Man Down’ Ngxeke’s move to Colin ‘Nomakanjani’ Nathan’s NO DOUBT Management is still fresh on boxing followers’ mind.
The BSA board ruled in favour of Nathan as Matiti had admitted, in his letter of objection, that he had never had a contract with Ngxeke. He revealed that Ngxeke only had a contract with Sibongile Matiti’s Zbashy Promotions.
The contract between Ngxeke and Zbashy Promotions ran from June 2022 until it expired in June 2024 and was never renewed after its expiry.
“During our recent mid-year verification period, Boxing South Africa discovered that a significant majority of licensed boxers currently lack formal, written contractual agreements with their “respective managers and promoters”. It has been observed that many professional relationships are governed by casual or verbal agreements, which is in direct contravention of the statutory requirements laid out in the Boxing Act and regulations,” Lejaka said in a statement.
In addition, Lejaka also revealed the shocking figures of boxers who have valid contracts with managers. And of major concern to BSA is that out of 710 registered fighters there’s only about six percent of licensed boxers with valid contracts with their managers.
“In our continued quest to foster greater professionalism, stability and legal certainty within the sport of boxing, it is imperative that all parties adhere strictly to the legal mandate for formal agreements,” Lejaka remarked.
“The law explicitly dictates that boxers must have contracts or articles of agreement with the managers who handle their business affairs. These contracts are fundamental for protecting the rights and financial interests of all licensees.”
