Like a seasoned boxer trying to parry a flurry of blows from an opponent, Kaya Majeke defended the actions of the leadership of National Professional Boxing Promoters Association (NPBPA).
Majeke, an NPBPA treasurer, was forced to defend his organisation after Zantsi Showtime Productions’ Mbali Zantsi and Ntsikelelo Manyisane had voiced their concerns during a meeting of the Eastern Cape Boxing Promoters Association (ECBPA) held in East London on Wednesday evening. The meeting, which was attended by 13 promoters, was chaired by Xaba Promotions’ Ayanda Matiti.
Zantsi and Manyisane’s concerns were based on the number of court cases the NPBPA instituted against former Minister of Sport Zizi Kodwa following the appointment of a new Boxing South Africa (BSA) board late in 2023. The NPBPA successfully challenged Kodwa’s decision and the board was subsequently disbanded.
“You don’t communicate with us, you don’t consult,” Zantsi said before Majeke cut in while she was speaking.
Zantsi continued: “Let’s say someone is asking, then I’ll be responding to that person. We say they were not representing us. As leaders, you take decisions on the go. But we are in the dark, decisions are taken, there are court cases. There’s never a case where you come report to us about the decisions taken.”
And Manyisane, who trades under the BBB Promotions banner, said: “I remember well, I said guys, can you please walk and work with us? Be accountable, be transparent, consult with us, talk to us.”
Responding to both Zantsi and Manyisane, Majeke said: “The point is that we need to work together irrespective of what happened. What I’m trying to say is that we need our own session where we will say colleagues, who are we? What is it that we want? How do we make sure that this boxing becomes profitable both for the boxer as well as for ourselves? We will represent our interests without fear.”
Majeke added: “We called so many meetings. Go back to our constitution, how we are structured. What we did, we looked at our constitution and said how do we move forward collectively? We created a national executive committee. In that national executive committee, which comprises of chairpersons and secretaries of provinces.
“We don’t take any decisions as the number that was voted in Durban. How we won the case, we quickly convened a meeting as the executive that was elected in Durban. Then after that, we convened a meeting of the extended executive, which is comprising of chairpersons of the provinces as well as the SGs. That meeting was recorded and was virtual and there was a register.
“From there, we told them that the interpretation of the then Minister Zizi Kodwa was wrong. We had done legal consultations, together with those provinces, we took a decision. It was the provinces that were suppose to come back to you and tell you what was happening. We moved forward because there was no time to move backwards.” – Monwabisi Jimlongo
