By Monwabisi Jimlongo
Zolile ‘Gqo’ Mahambi has accused Boxing South Africa (BSA) Eastern Cape provincial manager Phakamile Jacobs of bullying him because he’s just a poor trainer.
The accusations followed after an exchange of words between the two boxing personalities just before Mahambi’s boxer Siseko Teyise fought against Lukhona Rorwana at the Orient Theatre in East London on Sunday.
Mahambi believes that Teyise, who won by a fourth round stoppage, would have stopped his opponent earlier had he been in his corner. Siya Tete was in Teyise’s corner during the fight.
“What Phakamile did to me was unbelievable. I thought he was joking when he told us during the weigh-in that he was not going to allow us into the anteroom simple because the BSA board has not met to approve our applications. The BSA board’s delay in convening a meeting should never disadvantage us. Khulile Radu told me a while ago that all of us who wrote the test have passed,” Mahambi said.
“Phakamile came into the anteroom and told me that he was not going to allow me in Siseko’s corner. He even grabbed the cooler bag from my hand when we were going to the ring. I had to watch my boy being ushered into battle by another person. Siseko would have finished the fight early had I been in his corner.”
Mahambi also alleged that Jacobs allowed other trainers, who are yet to be licensed to be in their boxers’ corners during the tournament.
“Phakamile is a bully and he bullies people all the time. He allowed other people to be in their boxers’ corners even though they wrote the test together with me, meaning that they were not licensed. Phakamile thinks BSA is his farm. I hate him, I would never even go to his funeral should he die before me,” an angry Mahambi said.
Contacted for comment, Jacobs said: “He sent a WhatsApp message insulting me. Yes, he was there in the second round of tests and the results are not out yet. One becomes a licensee once the BSA board approves his or her application. So it was impossible for him to be in his boxer’s corner because he’s not a licensee yet. Only licensed people go to the anteroom and the ring, that’s the bottom line. That I allowed some unlicensed people into their boxers’ corners is a lie. I would have broken the rules had I allowed him into his boxer’s corner. He must wait for the board to approve his application. The board is going to sit this month.”
We listened to the voice note Mahambi sent to Jacobs and he could be heard saying, “Phakamile I will hate you till you die. There are people who told me that you allowed them into the corner even though they are yet to be licensed. I hate you Phakamile, I hate you. I don’t know why you are fighting me. What did I do to you? You are unprofessional. BSA is not yours. I’m not going to leave boxing because of you.”
