Lonwabo Witbooi has enlisted the services of Gqeberha-based lawyer Sizwe Maci in his bid to have his boxer Athenkosi Thongwana fight for the South African junior-flyweight title.
Thongwana submitted a challenge form in July, challenging current SA junior-flyweight titlist Siseko Teyisi. However, Thongwana’s dream of fighting for the title has been delayed following a decision of the board of Boxing South Africa (BSA) to allow Teyise to engage in an international bout.
Teyisi defeated Filipino boxer Elmar Zamora on points in an IBF Intercontinental junior-flyweight title contest at the Orient Theatre in East London last month.
Before the clash with Zamora, Teyisi made a commitment to defend his SA title against Thongwana on Sunday, 16 November. But nothing has been said about that fight since even though the date proposed by Teyisi is less than a month away.
“I have handed the matter to our lawyer Sizwe Maci. He’s handling everything now,” Witbooi, who manages Thongwana, revealed.
After overruling the sanctioning committee’s decision, the BSA board took a strange route, ordering that Thongwana be paid by the fistic regulator following his “botched” SA title challenge.
The decision was taken after a BSA board meeting looked into Xaba Promotions boss Ayanda Matiti’s appeal against a sanctioning committee’s ruling, which had ordered Teyisi to relinquish his SA title before facing Zamora.
In a letter she sent to Witbooi last month, BSA board chairperson Ayanda Khumalo said: “The implication of this delay is quite material. This means that the champion was only placed on notice on 19 August 2025 and in response thereto, the champion has offered the date 16 November 2025 to have the mandatory defence fight. The proposed date is within the prescribed three months within which the champion must honour his mandatory defence.
“Consideration to strip the champion of the SA title belt must only be entertained at a point when the champion straddles beyond three months period after being formally placed on notice.”
Maci said when contacted: “I have received instructions to take a look at the matter and advise Thongwana and his camp. I will go through all the necessary correspondence the Thongwana camp received and then advise on the way forward.”
Referring to the proposed fight date, Maci said: “The issue of the date has also cropped up. The question is what will happen in the event that the fight doesn’t happen at the said date? I still have to look at the chairperson’s decision.” – Monwabisi Jimlongo
