Not only will ring officials be wearing new shirts, pants and bow ties at this weekend’s tournament, they will also be recompensed handsomely before and after the show.
This followed after Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie announced on Monday this week that going forward ring officials will be paid R2000 before the start of the bouts and will receive an additional R1000 from the promoter after the tournament, bringing the total payment to R3000 per official.
This is an exponential increase compared to this time last year where the officials took home R350 after the tournament.
“I was shocked when I heard that the referees didn’t have proper clothing. I was also told that referees were being paid R350 per match. We must not make people a laughing stock,” McKenzie said.
“I want to do it right. There will be no referee, no judge that will go into the ring without being paid R2000, which will be underwritten by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
“For every boxing match, we will provide R2000 in all nine provinces. Women judges will get the same amount that the men are getting. There’s no discrimination. The money must not be paid after the boxing match, it must be paid before the bout happens.”
Ring officials, who are going to officiate at the Ola GMM Boxing Promotions’ tournament at Scenery Park Community Hall in East London, are going to be the first beneficiaries since McKenzie made the announcement on Monday.
Meanwhile, only female boxers are going to fight in this tournament and an all-female crew of ring officials including the time keeper will officiate at the show. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
