Dingaan “The Rose of Soweto” Thobela says Covid-19 lockdown regulations, which have limited attendance at funerals to 50 mourners, have had a negative effect on the boxing fraternity.
This has seen colleagues unable to bury their departed peers, Thobela says.
He says the least they can do to maintain unity and solidarity is to band together and shop around for comprehensive life cover that will assist in burying former and current boxers, ring officials, trainers and managers. That, he says, will at least serve as a glue to keep them together in good and bad times.
The former two-weight world boxing champion owns The Rose Funerals.
“I did this with Tsholofelo Lejaka in 2018 and he bought into the idea,” said Thobela, who says he has witnessed painful moments where families of some members of the boxing fraternity had nothing to pull together to give their loved ones dignified burials.
“That is why I don’t want this to be misunderstood as some marketing strategy for my company. I’m also not implying that they can’t bury themselves. Some have their own insurances, but not all of them and I have seen it,” he said.
“We as the boxing family must come together and be honest with each other before we can approach Boxing SA again.”
Thobela says they will have to look out for an insurance company that will understand the challenges faced specifically by boxers, who cannot be covered since they are in combat sport.
“We need an insurance policy that will understand and customise the cover to the code. Such insurance companies are available, they just need to be approached,” he said.
“When death strikes, their families have nowhere to go and seek help to bury their loved ones. We can’t even come in and help because we are all struggling financially.”
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