By Monwabisi Jimlongo
The kind of contribution that the late boxing icon Mzimasi ‘Bro Mzi’ Mnguni made in sport and life in general will never be forgotten.
This is what was said at Mnguni’s funeral service, which was held at the St George’s Presbyterian Church in East London, on Saturday.
Mnguni, who passed away at an East London hospital aged 73 last Saturday, is going to be buried in MaZotshweni village, Alice, after a service at his home on Sunday.
Loyiso Mtya, a long-time friend of the deceased, said Mnguni was streetwise, an attribute he learnt when he was working in Johannesburg.
‘‘In order for you to understand the impact that Mzi had in boxing as an educator, a go getter, a genius, you’ve got to understand how our boxing was when he arrived here. He was streetwise. He managed to do all the things he did because he was streetwise,’’ Mtya said.
‘‘We were the only province, which competed with rugby and football in terms of attracting spectators. He arrived in the scene when we had promoters like Mfana Jekwa. I introduced him to Les Muller, Eric Gabelana and Mfana Jekwa.’’
The former South African junior-middleweight champion added that Mnguni was a strategist of note.
‘‘He was a strategist. Let me make an example. His first strategy was to get a wife, a good wife. He got married to Lindiwe Ngobeni. And that partner made sure that while Mzi’s time was dedicated to boxing, his businesses didn’t suffer. Instead, they grew and grew. He was a strategist, he was a businessman,’’ Mtya said.
‘‘I remember that we had to have a new boxing governing body when the democratic dispensation came. Les Muller, who made boxing in this area, was called up to take the position of national chairman and people were happy with that. They were saying that Les Muller was going to grow in boxing, but Mzi thought otherwise.
‘‘One day he came to my home and voiced his concerns. He told me that he was against Les assuming a national role because that was not going to be good for boxing in the Border region. He suggested that we should get somebody else at national level, someone like Khulile Radu.’’
According to the former acting chief executive officer of Boxing South Africa (BSA), Mnguni’s business acumen came in handy in the fistic sport.
‘‘Mzi arrived in boxing when we were leaving Sisa Dukashe for Orient Theatre because of political reasons. Mzi was good as a trainer, a strategist and a promoter. We saw something new in the promotion of boxing, we saw the business side of it because of him. He showed us that boxing was also a business,’’ Mtya said.
‘‘We have done far better in this province boxing wise. Let us go into boxing development. Let us equip our trainers and make sure that they reach the same levels Mzimasi Mnguni reached. Let’s make sure that our female boxers don’t only fight in August as is usually the case. Our female boxers must fight regularly. Let us train our ring officials so that our boxing could be developed. Let us train everybody who is in boxing.
‘‘Let us get our business to the level Mzi put it. During the apartheid era boxing had ties with the public sector. There was money to be made. We can make enough money to have tournaments even now.”
BSA board chairman Luthando Jack, meanwhile, told mourners that Mnguni was not only a boxing person, he was also a philanthropist.
‘‘A legend, a leader, a promoter extraordinaire, a philanthropist, a teacher, a community builder, a cultural revolutionary, an organic intellectual has ceased to exist,” Jack said.
‘‘A husband to his wife sis’ Lindi, a father, a grandfather, a brother, a father-figure to those who encountered him is no more. A symbol of excellence, a symbol of professionalism, a path-breaking thinker, a self-starter and an entrepreneur.’’
Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation Nocawe Mafu also paid tribute to the Alice-born Mnguni.
‘‘The whole nation suffered this loss. A son of the nation has passed away. The sporting community has lost one of its shining stars, a visionary, a pioneer and an internationally recognised icon,’’ Mafu said.
Mnguni produced more than 30 South African and world champions from his Eyethu Boxing Gym in Mdantsane.
Welcome Ncita, Vuyani Bungu, Mbulelo Botile, Zolani and Masibulele Makepula just to mention a few were catapulted into world stardom by Mnguni.
