BSA upholds EL boxing promoter’s suspension

Controversial East London boxing promoter Andile Sidinile has been suspended by Boxing SA over non-payment of boxers.

Sidinile, who trades under the Sijuta Promotions banner, also faces criminal charges of fraud relating to a forged letter addressed to Boxing SA and purporting to be from the Eastern Cape department of sports, recreation, arts and culture (Dsrac).

The letter was submitted to BSA for the regulatory body to sanction Sidinile’s April 22 2016 tournament without the purse monies of boxers having been deposited seven days in advance as per the regulations.

Sidinile appeared before a BSA disciplinary committee on December 15, at which he was found guilty of all five charges against him.

They were:

• Failure to deposit purse monies prior to the April 22 tournament as required by the South African Boxing Act and Regulations;
• Failure to submit a statement under oath within seven days of staging the tournament to set out the income derived from the tournament as required by the South African Boxing Act and Regulations;
• Repeatedly making false and misleading statements or promises that Sijuta Promotions would make payment of the money to Boxing SA on or before the tournament;
• Submission of a falsified letter to Boxing South Africa by Sijuta Promotions; and
• Bringing Boxing SA into disrepute by failing to pay the purse, resulting in boxers being not paid.

Sidinile’s company organised the tournament to form part of the University of Fort Hare’s centenary celebrations. However, some of the boxers who fought in the tournament were not paid, and as a result BSA had to pay them out of its own coffers. At the disciplinary hearing he was given until February 15 to reimburse BSA and pay the costs of the hearing.

Although he promised to pay the money in an interview with Daily Dispatch last week, he has failed to do so, and as a result the BSA board has now endorsed the decision of the committee to suspend him.

“After receiving the report of the disciplinary hearing BSA board noted the sanction imposed by the DC,” BSA said. “The board further it was apparent from the evidence presented at the DC that Mr Sidinile might have been involved or participated in the forging or covering up the forgery of a letter that was submitted to Boxing SA by Sijuta Promotions on April 22.”

In another letter seen by Dispatch, Sidinile’s request for an extension of his deadline from February 15 to May 2017 was dismissed by the BSA board. Sidinile refused to comment on the latest developments.

While his license has been suspended until March 31, it would have expired on the same date, as do all licenses of this financial year.

He further faces a civil claim from BSA to recover the money. BSA chief executive Tsholofelo Lejaka could not say how the claim would unfold.

His suspension has now floored his plans to organise a tournament on February 26, which was to feature recently stripped IBO featherweight champion Lusanda Komanisi.

The latest development will also likely have ramifications on his funding by Buffalo City Metro, which gave him and three other promoters R800000 to organise tournaments in the region.

The board has now resolved to approach Dsrac for assistance with a probe into the forgery of the letter.

The board further resolved to:

lBring criminal charges of forgery and/or defeating the ends of justice against Sijuta Promotions or Sidinile.

lConsider whether new charges could and should be brought against Sijuta or Sidinile for contravening Boxing SA rules and regulations relating to disciplinary matters and the disciplinary committee in relation to the serious allegations of forgery and/or defeating the ends of justice. — mesuliz@dispatch.co.za