Official praises promoter Mnguni

BOXING SA chairperson Muditambi Ravele has lauded boxing promoter Mzimasi Mnguni, describing the veteran as one of the sport’s true greats.

Wheelchair-bound Mnguni, who has suffered several strokes, wrote his name in the history books during a glittering career that saw him produce numerous world champions.

Mnguni was recently honoured by Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula at the South African Sport Awards in Bloemfontein, where the boxing supremo was handed the Steve Tshwete Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ravele said the 69-year-old successful businessman‚ who owns the Mdantsane Hotel‚ had made such an immense contribution to the sport that he could not be thanked enough.

“You know Bra Mzi … we don’t know how to thank him, and we can say this so many times‚ thank you‚” said Ravele.

“Bra Mzi managed to take boxers from the villages ... out into the world.”

Some of the many credible world champions Mnguni produced at his popular Eyethu Boxing Gym in Mdantsane are Vuyani Bungu‚ Zolani Petelo‚ Welcome Ncita and Mbulelo Botile‚ among others.

“He didn’t produce one‚ two or three champions but produced more than 10 champions from our communities, and that on its own is a great achievement‚” Ravele said.

“He not only kept boxing going within our communities but also motivated a lot of promoters to come into the sport.

“Some of them [promoters] are actually imitating him.

“They really want to be the next Bra Mzi and, on that score‚ we would actually want to make him understand that we appreciate the work he is doing.

“When I came in as the chairperson of boxing he was one of the people who welcomed me.

“He was willing to sit down and debate issues‚ give me the background [of issues]. “And that’s what you need. “You need people who are willing to share their experience in order to take the sport forward.”

Top promoter Rodney Berman also recently praised Mnguni, and spoke of his long association with the accomplished trainer and manager.

Berman ventured into boxing in 1977, and he started working with Mnguni in 1988.

They produced their first world champion in 1990, when Mnguni’s charge Ncita took the IBF junior featherweight belt from Fabrice Benichou in Israel.