Boxing ban hurts female boxers badly
Promoter ropes in Cosatu for help
Much as this may sound like a cliché, the truth is that it will take a woman to fully understand and expediently resolve issues that affect other women.
Hunger has engulfed South African professional boxers to such an extent that female fighters cannot buy themselves basic needs such as feminine hygienic products.
This was revealed yesterday by Joyce Kungwane – the Gauteng-based female boxing promoter – who trades under the banner of TLB Promotion. South Africa has about 25 Boxing SA licensed female professional boxers and that includes a few from other African states.
Some of these boxers see Kungwane as their mother – hence they freely share their secrets or private matters with her. They approached her regarding basic needs since they are unable to buy them themselves due to their financial situations.
“Boxers said they were struggling financially due to the inactivity because of the national lockdown that was implemented in March to curb the spread of the coronavirus,” said Kungwane, who has stepped up to claim the responsibility of coming to their aid the best way possible.
Kungwane – who is also chairperson of Gauteng Promoters Association – said she pleaded with the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) for assistance and they agreed to help her provide hygienic needs to boxers.
“We have agreed to distribute the goodies on the 29th of this month,” she said.
This comes at an opportune time when SA observes its annual Women’s Month, a tribute to 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on August 9 1956 to protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women.
“It hurts to hear a woman saying they don’t have bread because the next question for me would be, does she has bath soap to wash, toothpaste and roll-on?” said Kungwane.
The female professional boxers include foreigners based in SA. Malawian WBF
International bantamweight champion Ellen Simwaka last donned fought in 2018.
“I plead with every single individual who can assist in every way possible to help these young women,” Kungwane pleaded as the ban of fights due to Covid-19 lockdown begins to bite deeper.