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Sifiso Shongwe has been named chair of the Boxing SA board that begins its term on December 12. Picture: DAVID ISAACSON
Sifiso Shongwe has been named chair of the Boxing SA board that begins its term on December 12. Picture: DAVID ISAACSON

Sport minister Zizi Kodwa swept out all but one member of the controversial Boxing SA (BSA) board on Tuesday announcing a new executive where women outnumber men four to three.

Former promoter Sifiso Shongwe will chair the board that begins its three-year term on December 12.

The only survivor from the incumbent crop is Sakhiwe Sodo, who stood up to the board a few months ago when he refused to sanction an unrated boxer for a SA title bout.

The board, which overruled Sodo and allowed the title fight to go ahead, has come under fire several times, often for seemingly acting in contravention of the laws and regulations that govern professional boxing.

The other new board members are Princess Mangoma, Nande Mheshe, Luxolo September, Romy Titus and Dr Mary-Gene Manthata-Setati.

Kodwa said the new board’s first task will be to appoint a full-time CEO. He said he has already discussed this with Shongwe.

“I raised the matter, we need to do everything we can to bring this sport back to its glory days,” Kodwa said, referring to the era when local fans woke up at 3am to watch SA stars fighting abroad.

The CEO issue has dogged the regulator for a decade, since CEO Moffat Qithi was suspended in 2013 after it emerged he had a criminal record, which the Boxing Act prohibits. He was fired in 2015, but subsequently won his case at the CCMA, which BSA has fought and lost legally since then, throwing in the towel after failing at the Constitutional Court recently.

It has been reported that this legal fiasco will cost BSA R11m, more than half its traditional R19m grant from the government.

Asked if the new board will have to carry this cost or if the government will help, Kodwa reiterated that budgets are tight and said BSA will have to review its funding model, which is heavily depended on the grant.

It should look to the corporate sector, he said. “You can’t have an entity that still depends on government at this stage. It’s not possible with all the challenges we face in terms of our fiscus.

“So we need to look at corporate, but you can’t do that if you don’t have stable leadership and you’re not right in terms of corporate governance.

“If you look at the composition of the new board they bring diverse expertise, skills and so on, it’s the people who bring the stability we need in BSA.”


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