Boxing SA boss Ntambi Ravele has threatened to throw the book at two promoters for failing to pay the boxers their purses.
Ravele made the threat after boxers who fought in a Sijuta Promotion tournament in East London on April 22 did not receive their pay.
The tournament was held at Orient Theatre to celebrate Fort Hare University centenary three weeks ago.
Top local boxers in action included IBO world lightweight champion Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni, former WBA world champion Simpiwe Vetyeka, former world king Nkosinathi Joyi as well as Duncan Village’s Luzuko Siyo.
Vetyeka and Siyo clashed against Japanese boxers Tsuyoshi Tameda who lost on points to the former while Yohei Tobe scored a knockout win over Siyo.
Despite the show drawing a full house, including guest attendance by provincial sports MEC Pemmy Majodina, former sports minister Rev Makhenkesi Stofile and UFH vice-chancellor Mvuyo Tom, the boxers are yet to be paid for the good fights with which they thrilled spectators.
Sijuta Promotions boss Andile Sidinile confirmed that SA boxers who fought in the tournament have not been paid as yet.
He alluded the delay on the technicality involving the tournament financial backer.
“We encountered a hiccup with one of our funders but everything is being sorted out now,” he said.
However, the Japanese boxers were paid their purses in line with the requirement to pay foreign fighters in hard cash.
Sidinile promised the payment of local boxers would be done this week.
However, this has not deterred Ravele from issuing a strongly- worded warning to throw the book at Sidinile.
“The payment of boxers is non-negotiable and you can quote me on that,’’ she fumed.
“Without pre-empting the process but we are conducting investigations about this debacle and we will take an appropriate action.”
When asked how the tournament was allowed to continue without the money being deposited into the BSA account in advance, Ravele said: “This is one of the key points we want to find out.”
She said BSA had held a workshop with promoters where the emphasis about compliance of advanced deposits was made.
“We organised the workshop even though promoters are already aware of this rule,” she added, defending BSA for not enforcing the rule.
However, BSA has been hit by the departure of Masilo Maake who was seconded by the national sport department of sport to head the regulatory body’s administration after the resignation of Loyiso Mtya.
Maake has been responsible for the sanctioning and approvals of tournaments by making sure that money was deposited in advance.
Ravele argued that approval for both tournaments was done while Maake was still in office.
“Mr Maake resigned from the department in February but we asked him to stay as BSA administrator until the end of April so the tournaments’ approval happened under his watch,” she said, but stopped short at putting the blame on his door.
Other boxers who are yet to be paid are those that fought in a tournament in Polokwane on April 29.
Ravele said the non-payment of boxers was damaging boxing’s image in the country.
Ravele takes a jab at promoters
Ravele made the threat after boxers who fought in a Sijuta Promotion tournament in East London on April 22 did not receive their pay.
The tournament was held at Orient Theatre to celebrate Fort Hare University centenary three weeks ago.
Top local boxers in action included IBO world lightweight champion Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni, former WBA world champion Simpiwe Vetyeka, former world king Nkosinathi Joyi as well as Duncan Village’s Luzuko Siyo.
Vetyeka and Siyo clashed against Japanese boxers Tsuyoshi Tameda who lost on points to the former while Yohei Tobe scored a knockout win over Siyo.
Despite the show drawing a full house, including guest attendance by provincial sports MEC Pemmy Majodina, former sports minister Rev Makhenkesi Stofile and UFH vice-chancellor Mvuyo Tom, the boxers are yet to be paid for the good fights with which they thrilled spectators.
Sijuta Promotions boss Andile Sidinile confirmed that SA boxers who fought in the tournament have not been paid as yet.
He alluded the delay on the technicality involving the tournament financial backer.
“We encountered a hiccup with one of our funders but everything is being sorted out now,” he said.
However, the Japanese boxers were paid their purses in line with the requirement to pay foreign fighters in hard cash.
Sidinile promised the payment of local boxers would be done this week.
However, this has not deterred Ravele from issuing a strongly- worded warning to throw the book at Sidinile.
“The payment of boxers is non-negotiable and you can quote me on that,’’ she fumed.
“Without pre-empting the process but we are conducting investigations about this debacle and we will take an appropriate action.”
When asked how the tournament was allowed to continue without the money being deposited into the BSA account in advance, Ravele said: “This is one of the key points we want to find out.”
She said BSA had held a workshop with promoters where the emphasis about compliance of advanced deposits was made.
“We organised the workshop even though promoters are already aware of this rule,” she added, defending BSA for not enforcing the rule.
However, BSA has been hit by the departure of Masilo Maake who was seconded by the national sport department of sport to head the regulatory body’s administration after the resignation of Loyiso Mtya.
Maake has been responsible for the sanctioning and approvals of tournaments by making sure that money was deposited in advance.
Ravele argued that approval for both tournaments was done while Maake was still in office.
“Mr Maake resigned from the department in February but we asked him to stay as BSA administrator until the end of April so the tournaments’ approval happened under his watch,” she said, but stopped short at putting the blame on his door.
Other boxers who are yet to be paid are those that fought in a tournament in Polokwane on April 29.
Ravele said the non-payment of boxers was damaging boxing’s image in the country.
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