After arbitrator Advocate Keitumetse Johanna Mogale-Makinta ruled against Siyabulela Hem’s bid to challenge for the South African featherweight title, handlers of the national junior-featherweight champion attempted to get Abdul-Aziz Kunert and Mhlanganisi Sogcwayi for a fight next month.
Hem’s handlers fought for him to challenge SA featherweight titlist Lindelani Sibisi instead of Makhanda-born Bongani Fule challenging for the title. The matter, which was compounded by the BSA sanctioning committee’s decision to sanction Hem’s challenge on the basis that he’s the current SA junior-featherweight champion, was sent for arbitration.
The arbitrator’s ruling said: “The sanctioning of the bout between Lindelani Sibisi and Siyabulela Hem is hereby reviewed and set aside. The bout between Lindelani Sibisi and Bongani Fule, scheduled for 28 March 2026, is declared validly sanctioned mandatory championship contest.”
Ink Sport can now reveal that efforts were made for the startlet from Duncan Village, KuGompo City, to skip a division or two to fight either Kurnet or Sogcwayi in junior-lightweight and catchweight bouts respectively on Friday, 24 April.
“We were offered the fight at junior-lightweight. We declined the offer because there was no way we were going to take peanuts. Other opportunities are going to come,” Kunert’s manager Colin ‘Nomakanjani’ Nathan said.
A Team Sogcwayi member, who asked for anonymity, said: “They called us offering Sogcwayi a fight against Hem. They said the fight was going to be in the catchweight. We declined the offer.”
Had Kunert or Sogcwayi agreed to the fight, it would have confirmed rumours, which have been spreading like wildfire, saying that Hem was struggling to make the junior-featherweight division.
