Sick and tired of Siseko Makeleni’s antics, East London trainer Lonwabo Witbooi has asked Boxing South Africa (BSA) to strip the reigning Eastern Cape lightweight champion.
Witbooi has called for the regulator to take action against Makeleni after the Mthatha boxer failed to defend his title against Hlumelo Gingxana. Makeleni was due to defend against Gingxana in Komani on Saturday, 7 February.
Makeleni has been evading fighting Gingxana since March last year. As a result of Makeleni’s constant antics, Gingxana from Braelyn in East London will now fight against Gqeberha’s Aphiwe Magobiyane.
After agreeing and signing a contract to face off against Gingxana, Makeleni turned around and told Pepzin Promotions boss Siyabulela Libazi that he will not be ready for action on the said date something which has rubbed up Witbooi the wrong way.
“I’m writing to you to express my displeasure with the conduct of current Eastern Cape lightweight champion Siseko Makeleni. The unbecoming conduct of Mr Makeleni when it comes to defending his provincial title against my boxer, Hlumelo Gingxana, is well-documented and known to BSA, I need not go back to it,” Witbooi wrote in a letter to Eastern Cape BSA provincial manager Siya Vabaza-Booi.
He added: “Throughout his shenanigans, I remained silent to allow BSA to follow due process. However, recent events where Mr Makeleni agreed to prepare to fight, signed the contract and only to come back saying that he will not be ready to fight, without supplying any valid reason, leaves me with no choice, but to lodge a complaint against his conduct.”
With Makeleni unwilling to fight, let alone facing Gingxana, Witbooi has called BSA to protect all boxers who campaign in the lightweight division.
“I urge BSA as our protector and guardian of boxing to protect the rights of not only Hlumelo Gingxana, but of all lightweights in the Eastern Cape who have aspirations of becoming provincial champions from deliquents who pose as champions. I hereby lodge a formal complaint against Mr Makeleni and asking BSA to take a decisive action agaunst him and declare the title vacant,” Witbooi concluded. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
