Chaotic meeting close to boiling point

Boxing South Africa
Boxing South Africa
Image: File

The row between Eastern Cape boxing promoters is still very far from being resolved after a tumultuous meeting at a beachfront hotel between Boxing SA and warring groups at the weekend.

BSA sent a strong delegation to East London consisting of board chairman Peter Ngatane, chief executive Tsholofelo Lejaka and two board members Khulile Radu and Luthando Jack to resolve the raging impasse which has two warring groups both claiming legitimate leadership of Eastern Cape Boxing Promoters Association (ECBPA).

On one side a structure chaired by Ayanda Matiti is claiming to be the rightful leadership of ECBPA but it is opposed by a rival group chaired by Thando Zonke.

The Zonke-led structure elected its executive three weeks ago and is claiming to be the rightful representatives of provincial promoters.

With the tension between the two groups escalating BSA decided to intervene by holding two separate meetings with both groups on Friday and Saturday.

BSA has been mum on what transpired from the meetings promising to issue a statement which failed to come through.

However the Daily Dispatch can reveal that BSA’s suggestion for the rival group to participate in the elections planned by the Matiti-led structure towards the end of the month was dismissed with threats of leaving the meeting if the interests of the rival structure was not met.

“The meeting resembled an EFF parliamentary walkout because the Zonke structure staged a walkout,” the insider said.

“But it was persuaded by BSA to come back to the meeting. It was only after BSA promised to recognise the structure that everything seemed to be in order.”

However when BSA held a joint meeting with both warring groups all hell broke loose with two members from opposite sides being restrained from physically engaging in a fisticuffs.

This after one member insulted a rival member.

The skirmish saw BSA members, including the regulatory body’s provincial manager Phakamile Jacobs, desperately trying to quell the fracas.

Jacobs denied that he was physically involved in the fracas but confirmed that he was called to intervene.

“I was about to conduct the weigh-in ceremony [for Sunday’s double SA title fights] when I was called to intervene as two members hurled insults at each other,” he said.

So far no official word has come from BSA regarding the structure recognised as a legitimate one.

Several messages left for Lejaka were not immediately returned.

But it has been learnt that among other issues covered were payment of sanctioning levies.

There were also discussions around minimum purse of boxers and ring officials.

The meeting also reportedly invited inputs from promoters regarding some regulations that need amendments promising to discuss them in a board meeting before making a decision.

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