Top boxing promoter Andile Sidinile is being investigated by Boxing SA and the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC) for allegedly forging a signature on a sponsorship letter purported to be from a top DSRAC official.
The department is investigating Sidinile – of Sijuta Promotions – over alleged fraud relating to a boxing tournament held on April 22 in East London, and have since handed the case over to law enforcement agencies.
The tournament, held in conjunction with University of Fort Hare’s centenary year, featured top acts such as Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni and Simphiwe “V12” Vetyeka who fought international opponents at the Orient Theatre.
It has now emerged that Sidinile’s failure to also pay the boxers, which BSA has asked him to provide an explanation for, stems from a dispute over the questionable letter of sponsorship – which the promoter handed to BSA as proof of sponsorship.
The letter, seen by the Dispatch, came on a DSRAC letterhead and was purported to have been signed by DSRAC’s chief financial officer (CFO) Jason O’Hara, which gave an undertaking to BSA that Sidinile had secured R1-million from the department to pay the boxers’ purses.
It was on the basis of the letter – delivered to BSA on the day of the tournament – that the boxing authority gave Sidinile a go-ahead to host the tournament. It now turns out, the letter was in fact an alleged forgery, as O’Hara was not at work at the time and the signature was not his.
And in a new turn of events, Sidinile, in a separate letter, offers his “sincere and unconditional apology” for the alleged forged letter.
The apology from Sidinile to O’Hara goes as follows: “This serves to confirm that the letter purported to be from you dated April 22 was in fact not from you”.
The letter, with O’Hara’s signature on it that had allegedly been forged, states “it is with great pleasure to inform you that your partnership proposal for the hosting of the Freedom Month Boxing Tournament event to be held on 22 April 2016 has been approved by the department.
A total amount of R1-million has been approved to host this event …”
Sidinile’s explains the reasons for the alleged fake letter.
“I felt that instead of cancelling the tournament – an act which would have cost us more than R700000 in already signed commitments … I missed an opportunity to tell you about this act as I thought that the letter would do no harm”, he said – adding that “this letter serves to exonerate you”.
DSRAC head of department Mzolisi Matutu, yesterday confirmed they were investigating the matter internally and had also reported the alleged fraud to “external investigators”.
BSA board chairperson Ntambi Ravele confirmed that the boxing authority was investigating Sijuta Promotions.
Contacted yesterday, Sidinile initially pleaded with the Daily Dispatch to hold the report.
When it became clear that his request would not be granted, he said: “I do not know of any fraud because I got the letter and submitted to BSA. I am waiting for the internal investigation to be concluded as soon as possible because it will reveal who did what”.
Last year the BSA suspended the promoter’s licence of one of EC’s top promoters – Siphatho Handi of Mamali Productions – after he had failed to pay boxers in a tournament that featured fighters such as Nkosinathi Joyi.
The overseas boxers were paid their purses while locals did not receive a cent, resulting in Handi’s suspension. - zingisam@dispatch.co.za