Winning the South African title will be the cherry on top for Sinethemba Kotana.
However, victory has already been achieved. He has defeated his drug addiction. It almost got him killed by angry residents who had grown tired of being robbed by Kotana and his buddies in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape.
The 24-year-old talented fighter has successfully turned his life around for the better. That is illustrated by becoming eligible to challenge Jackson Chauke for the South African flyweight boxing belt on Thursday.
Their contest will be organised by the Walt Disney Company Africa in Sandton. Kotana was literally dead meat had it not been for Mlandeli Tengimfene, who rescued him from angry residents. They wanted to burn him alive for having robbed one of them of R600.
Accomplished boxing manager Tengimfene says he received a call around 10am saying Kotana was about to be necklaced (burnt with a tyre around his neck).
“I drove from East London to Mdantsane, which about 30km away, speeding like hell. I arrived when the residents were struggling to separate the tyre from a rim. I repaid them their money and then adopted him,” said Tengimfene. “Kotana is an orphan with no siblings. He gets the benefits that my children get.”
Tengimfene sat Kotana down like a father and talked to him about his future. “The first step was rehabilitation. He spent 101 days there. That was in 2020,” said Tengimfene.
The eloquent boxer explained why it took 101 days to complete the programme.
“It takes 45 days to break a habit; it also take 45 to gain another one; the 11 days are to re-instil it. I did not think I would be this person I am now. When Ta Mlandeli came on that 101st day, he asked me what was the way forward; we spoke about many things and about what I wanted to do; next came the gym and I also went back to school to finish my grade 12.”
Tengimfene got Kotana back gradually through the Gauteng Boxing Promoters Association, which gave the boxer three fights at Booysens Gym. He won all of them and his consistency has rewarded him with the top spot in ratings – hence the challenge against 37-year-old Chauke.
Kotana has 12 fights under his belt – eight wins, two losses and two draws. On the other hand, Chauke has won 20 of his 23 fights.
There will be five undercard fights and the action will begin at 5.30pm
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