Parliament’s portfolio committee on sport, arts and culture didn’t get a response from members of the board of Boxing South Africa (BSA) on a question regarding the continued suspension of Mandla Ntlanganiso.
Instead of providing clarity on the BSA director of operations’ suspension, the board members gave long winded answers, which in many instances had no meat at all during their appearance before parliament’s portfolio committee on sport, arts and culture last Friday.
And in the end, the question on Ntlanganiso’s suspension was deliberately ignored by the BSA board members as if they were running away from a contagious plague.
The board members even failed to answer a question about acting BSA director of operations Mncedisi Ngqumba’s remuneration.
Failing to answer some of the questions didn’t go down well with the members of the portfolio committee and an annoyed Duduzile Sibiya was heard saying: “Kudlaliwe ngathi namhlanje (we got played today).”
Ntlanganiso, who joined BSA in January last year, is yet to be charged despite being suspended since 10 August. Surely, his rights have been violated as he has not been charged in more than 90 days.
Clause 8.2(c) of the Labour Relations Act on precautionary suspension says: “If an employee is suspended or transferred as a precautionary measure, the employer must hold a disciplinary hearing within a month or 60 days, depending on the complexity of the matter and the length of the investigation. The chairperson of the hearing must decide on any further postponement.”
Ntlanganiso was suspended following a blunder, which was committed by BSA’s provincial manager in the Eastern Cape Phakamile Jacobs four months ago.
Jacobs’ failure to tally score cards correctly resulted in Melissa Miller being declared a winner during a South African female bantamweight title contest against current champion Sharadene Fortuin at the East London International Convention Centre (ICC) in July.
It then took BSA three days to change the initial outcome of the fight into a draw something which angered many boxing followers.
