In a bid to make sure that there’s no Animal Farm situation in South African professional boxing, Lonwabo Witbooi has decided to continue to fight against what he calls the bending of rules by Boxing South Africa (BSA).
Witbooi wants BSA to force SA junior-flyweight champion Siseko Teyisi to make a mandatory defence against his boxer Athenkosi Thongwana instead of facing Filipino boxer Elmar Zamora.
In a letter to BSA chief executive officer Tsholofelo Lejaka, Witbooi said: “I am writing to you about my objection of the South African junior-flyweight champion, Siseko Teyisi, fighting for an IBF Intercontinental title on 28 September 2025 against Elmar Zamora, as advertised by Xaba Boxing Promotions. Teyisi, who made a mandatory defence against Abongile Jacobs on 11 April 2025, is now due for a mandatory defence against my boxer Athenkosi Thongwana.”
Witbooi submitted a challenge form on behalf of Thongwana on the 17th of July. After seeing a poster of a proposed fight between Teyisi and Zamora, Witbooi wrote to BSA technical assistant Mncedisi Ngqumba on the 15th of August objecting to the bout arguing that the SA champion can’t engage in another bout before facing Thongwana.
“On 18 August 2025, Mr Ngqumba assured me that the sanctioning committee had not sanctioned any tournament as such nor there was an application for such a tournament where Teyisi would be fighting Zamora,” Witbooi said.
Witbooi added that on the same day he asked Ngqumba about whether Teyisi had received the challenge form or not. And 10 days later, Witbooi wrote another letter to Ngqumba asking about the same matter.
“Mr Ngqumba, apologising for his delayed response, acknowledged that the champion had received the challenge form and accepts the challenge, however, he had taken an international fight in September and that his manager Bongani Bozo would contact me to ask me to allow Teyisi to by-pass Thongwana and pursue the IBF Intercontinental fight,” Witbooi said.
“I informed Mr Ngqumba that Mr Bozo had reached out to me and I declined his plea for Thongwana to make way for Teyisi to fight for IBF Intercontinental, making it clear to him (Bozo) that Thongwana is exercising his mandatory right.”
Feeling frustrated, Witbooi wrote to Ngqumba again on the seventh of September, voicing his displeasure with BSA for allowing Xaba Promotions to advertise a Teyisi fight while Thongwana was still waiting for a response.
“I was invited to a virtual meeting by Mr Ntlanganiso and Mr Ngqumba in an attempt to resolve this issue. It was brought to my attention that the champion’s camp insisted on pursuing the IBF Intercontinental fight and then defend against Thongwana on the 13th of December. I refused to accept this,” Witbooi revealed.
Witbooi added that he was then invited to another meeting attended by Ntlanganiso, Ngqumba and BSA’s provincial manager in the Eastern Cape Siya Vabaza-Booi.
“I was referred to Section 17 of the South African Boxing Act, 2001 Boxing Amendment Regulations, in particular (3) (b) which states – within 30 days after the challenge referred to in paragraph (a) has been approved by Boxing SA, the titleholder shall make appropriate arrangements with a promoter to stage the fight not later than 90 days after the date of approval of such challenge,” Witbooi said.
“The interpretation of this clause was that Teyisi could fight Zamora as his 90 days has not lapsed yet. Which is very far from the truth. Please refer to clause 17 (3) (e), which states if a titleholder is not able to defend his or her title within the time limits contained in this regulation, Boxing SA may order that he or she defend his or her title without payment in a gymnasium or other suitable venue chosen by Boxing SA and if the titleholder refuses or neglects so to defend his or her title, Boxing SA may declare the title vacant.”
Witbooi further quoted clause 11.2 of BSA’s sanctioning and championship policy and rules, which says that a national titleholder may defend his/her title at least once every three (3) months in a voluntary defence option against any of the top ten rated contenders as compiled in the BSA ratings, except if the contender has lost his/her previous fight. The champion in a voluntary defence period must make his/her voluntary choice and fight within the stipulated period. Should a champion fail to make a voluntary defence within the stipulated period, he/she will forfeit the voluntary status and automatically inherit a mandatory defence.
According to Witbooi, Teyisi’s voluntary window expired on 11 July and thereafter, he inherited a mandatory defence that he has to fulfil as stipulated in clause 11.2.
Witbooi further said: “Clause 11.7 states that all South African champions are expected to honour the mandatory status of a mandatory challenger. It remains the prerogative of the sanctioning committee to nominate mandatory contenders in the respective weight divisions. This clause needs no further explanation. It speaks for itself.”
Witbooi said that the meeting with Ntlanganiso, Ngqumba and Vabaza-Booi didn’t make any reference to clauses, which refer to the champion’s obligations in a mandatory window.
Witbooi remarked: “I find that alarming and a form of thinking that is weirdly selective and can be easily construed as an attempt to mislead. I must add that this situation, to me, is tantamount to reliving a nightmare where last year I was in the exact situation where Khaya Busakwe, through the same boxing promotion, wanted to by-pass my boxer Sinethemba Blom, who was a mandatory challenger to his SA lightweight title, to fight for the WBA Pan-African title.
“Sanity prevailed when Dr Bayeni, who was then chairperson of the sanctioning committee applied section 17.3 of the regulations and my objection was upheld. The relevant clauses that resolved the Busakwe-Blom matter, which is exactly like the Teyisi-Thongwana matter are now thrown out of the window and replaced with irrelevant clauses.”
Witbooi concluded: “It’s now evident that myself and Boxing SA have reached an impasse on this matter and I am reaching out to you to lead us to the promised land. May I also add that I am of clear and sober mind to first exhaust all the internal processes of Boxing South Africa to resolve this matter and to protect the rights of my boxer by any means necessary, especially if there’s such gross violation of his rights.
“If it means in order to protect his rights and myself from being victimised by the same promotion year in, year out, we have to engage in a long-drawn legal battle, that is a battle I am willing to fight to the end. What needs to be done in this matter is simply an application or enforcement if needs be, of rules and regulations that we are all subject to as Boxing South Africa licensees and consistency in applying those rules and regulations.”
Meanwhile, Ngqumba had not responded by the time this story was published.
