Court ruling will have ramifications for boxing in SA

The boxing circus which started in December when a new era in the sport was supposed to be ushered in, delivered another episode this week when the Pretoria high court dismissed the case of the National Professional Boxing Promoters Association against sports minister Zizi Kodwa. The promoters were challenging Kodwa for appointing board members without consulting them and in several court rounds it appeared they were headed for a resounding victory.

At one stage, Kodwa even conceded defeat by announcing that he would start the appointing process all over again and consult boxing associations before appointing the members.

He announced the new date for nominations, effectively admitting that prior he erred by not following the due process.

The case unleashed a wave of legal expertise weighing in on the meaning of consultation as Kodwa retracted his steps to do what the promoters wanted.

But the court case this week delivered another outcome by declaring the promoters’ body not empowered to make any demands to be consulted as it did not comply with the statute of the Boxing Act.

One wonders why Kodwa did not use this information when the case was first heard in December, annulling his first appointment of the board.

Instead, Kodwa appointed Mandla Ntlanganiso, who was also a subject of the court case, as the accounting authority, putting the affairs of national boxing in the hands of one individual. With the board appointed in December laid off, Ntlanganiso is responsible for the day-to-day running of the sport while also having powers to take executive decisions.

While this week’s court ruling will have far-reaching ramifications in the running of the sport, Kodwa’s shenanigans cannot be excused as he subjected boxing to negative publicity.

Having been baptised by the previous board which footed its operational costs, the promoters’ association’s existence has been rendered uncertain by the court ruling.

In fact, some boxing stakeholders are already calling for the election of the new structure and one can expect another drawn-out battle to hit the sport.

All this could have been avoided long before boxing found itself in this mess, which it can do without.

The positive thing is that boxing activity has been unlocked and athletes can earn a living using their talent inside the ring.

But the image of the sport has been tarnished and it will take a while before it is attractive to investors.

The positive thing is that boxing activity has been unlocked and athletes can earn a living