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Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane and sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie have come under fire from boxing trainer Lonwabo Witbooi.
Witbooi hones the skills of newly crowned WBC International bantamweight champion Sharadene “Shinzo” Fortuin.
Fortuin, from Seymour in the Eastern Cape, is the first female boxer to capture that boxing belt.
She achieved that feat two weekends ago at Jan Smuts Stadium in kuGompo City.
Witbooi said the provincial government and the two politicians have not said a word to his charge about her achievement.
“It’s now two weeks since Sharadene won her belt and nothing has been said by Eastern Cape premier Mabuyane, the provincial sport ministry, or sport minister McKenzie,” said Witbooi.
“I’m not sure if it is because Sharadene is a female boxer or maybe female boxers’ achievements don’t really matter to them.”
His charge’s victory came just a week after the province welcomed its first WBC world champion in Siyakholwa “One Way” Kuse.
Kuse, the former SA, ABU and WBC silver champ from Mdantsane, is trained and managed in Gauteng by Manny Fernandes and Brian Mitchell, respectively.
Witbooi said the Eastern Cape province’s attitude of not showing gratitude to boxers is the reason they relocate to Johannesburg.
“Had Fortuin been trained in Johannesburg, I bet the Gauteng government and its sport ministry would have showed recognition and used her as beacon of hope for women in sport and generally,” he said.
“I call on the Eastern Cape premier, sport ministry in the province and sport minister McKenzie to celebrate Fortuin’s achievement.
“Her next fight could be for the fully fledged WBC world title; Sharadene needs all the support she can get.”
Several attempts to get comments from both Mabuyane and McKenzie were unsuccessful.
Sowetan then spoke to BSA CEO Tsholofelo Lejaka, whose comment was: “It should be noted [that] Sharadene’s victory is a major breakthrough for women boxing in SA.
“She joined many other trailblazers who paved the way for her, like Mbali Zantsi, who was the first female promoter; Noni Tenge, who is the first IBF welterweight world champ; and other renowned practitioners like Siya Vabaza-Booi, who served the sport as a ring official for more than 35 years.”
He said Boxing SA remains extremely proud for what Fortuin has achieved.
“As you will recall, both the minister and the BSA board ensured that the CEO [himself] and COO [Mandla Ntlanganiso] are by the ringside to witness Fortuin’s historical moment,” said Lejaka.
“It is only appropriate that this must be celebrated on its own merit without clouding it with negativity or malicious comparisons.”
Fortuin was the first female boxer here to win the IBO world title in 2015.
Sowetan
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