Boxing event uncertain as funding falls through
A desperate attempt by the ANC in the Buffalo City Metro council to approve R3.4m to fund a boxing tournament scheduled to take place on Friday failed for a second timewhen a reconvened council meeting collapsed.
The meeting was rescheduled after Wednesday’s gathering was halted following a heated debate over a proposal to pay former ANC youth leader Ayanda Matiti’s Xaba Boxing Promotions outfit R3.4 million.
Late on Thursday, Boxing SA (BSA) board chairman Peter Ngatane and a number of Boxing SA officials were present when the weigh-in took place after 5pm.
It had been delayed from
1pm.
It was not clear where the purse money would come from but Matiti said he knew the tournament was going ahead.
The Eastern Cape department of sports, arts and culture has already paid Matiti R850,000.
The BCM funding was recommended for the upcoming fifth annual celebrations of Madiba as a boxing tournament.
The meeting on Wednesday collapsed as a quorum of 51 councillors could not be reached.
On Thursday the meeting collapsed again as only 45 councillors were present by 10.30am, 90 minutes after the scheduled start.
Mtsi has reconvened the meeting for next Wednesday.
Eastern Cape Boxing Promotion Association (ECBPA) chairman Tando Zonke told the Daily Dispatch that a letter had been hand-delivered to mayor Xola Pakati on Thursday.
The letter threatened legal action against individual councillors should the funding be approved.
Pakati said he had not received the letter.
SRAC spokesman Andile Nduna said: “The R850,000 was part of sport tourism sponsorship by the department.
“It will go towards appearance fees, purse money for the boxers, marketing and publicity for the event.
“This sponsorship is R1m in all.
“Therefore the balance of the amount, which is R150,000, will be paid upon successful staging of the tournament as per the regulation.” — Additional reporting by Mesuli Zifo