Ukodwa uncoma udingaan Thobela owaphakamisa umzantsi Afrika
Pedro Mapelo Pedro.mapelo@inl.co.za
ICANDELO lezemidlalo emzantsi Afrika ligutyungelwe lilifu elimnyama kwakhona. Oku kulandela ukuvakala kweendaba ezimbi ezingokubhubha kwegqala lamanqindi, udingaan Thobela.
Iingxelo zamajelo eendaba zithi okathobela ufunyenwe sele ebanda ebusuku ngomvulu kwindawo yakhe yokuhlala egoli.
Abasemfuthweni wolwazi bathi kurhanelwa ukuba uye wahlaselwa yintliziyo wanikezela nakubeni iinkcukacha ezinjalo zingekaqinisekiswa ngabasemagunyeni.
Kuthiwa abantu bakowabo baye banexhala akungafumaneki emnxebeni wakhe. Basukele apho ahlala khona beyokumkroba kanti baza kufika engasekho.
Amazwi ovelwano aphuma kwiimbombo zonke zomzantsi Afrika asaphokoka kusapho lwakwathobela emva kokulahlekelwa ngomnye wabantu abangasoze balityalwe emdlalweni wamanqindi.
Okathobela waqala ikhondo lakhe emanqindini kudidi oluphezulu ukusukela ngonyaka ka1986 waze wabeka phantsi ngonyaka ka2006.
Kwiminyaka engamashumi amabini eyimbethimanqindi, uthobela waba yintshatsheli yeworld Boxing Organisation (WBO), eyeworld Boxing Association (WBA) neyeworld Boxing Council (WBC) kwinqanaba eliphezulu emanqindini wehlabathi.
Umphathiswa wezemidlalo, uzizi Kodwa, uvakalise ukukhathazeka kwakhe emva kokuva ngokusweleka kwegqala lamanqindi. “Udingaan, ‘The Rose of Soweto,’ waye wayintshatsheli yehlabathi eyabhala igama layo ezintliziyweni zabantu ngenxa yendlela awayesilwa ngayo,” utshilo umphathiswa kumyalezo obhaliweyo opapashwe kumakhasi onxibelelwano emini ngolwesibini wale veki.
Uthobela, 57, wayengomnye weembethimanqindi eziphambili kwihlabathi emdlalweni wamanqindi emva kokoyisa amadoda aziwayo phakathi kwawo ekukho utony Lopez noglenn Catley.
“Njengokuba sibhiyozela iminyaka engamashumi amathathu enkululeko emzantsi Afrika, kwelinye icala sizilele ukuwa kwembethimanqindi eyaphakamisa imidlalo yelizwe yayibeka kwinqabana eliphezulu. Sakuhlala simkhumbula ngoba uyindoda eyasebenza kakhulu futhi yanika ithemba izizukulwana eziza emva kwayo kwiindawo ngeendawo emzantsi Afrika,” uvale ngaloo mazwi uzizi Kodwa.
Ukusweleka kukathobela kulandela ukunduluka kwendodana ebisencinane (emanqindini) kwiphondo lempuma Koloni.
Okwangoku, azikapapashwa likhaya lakhe iinkcukacha malunga nomhla wesifihlo.