Question NW4080 to the Minister of Sport Arts and Culture:
22 December 2023 - NW4080
Joseph, Mr D to ask the Minister of Sport Arts and Culture:
(1). Whether a certain person (name and details furnished) currently owes Boxing South Africa (BSA) any money; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) is the total amount owed to BSA by (i) the specified person and (ii) other promoters and (b) are the reasons that the debt owed by the person has been allowed to prescribe; (2). what are reasons that the person was allowed to promote again under the Xaba Promotions banner without the debt having been paid after having been banned from promoting under that banner due to his debt to BSA; 3(a). how could the person be elected as Chairman of the National Professional Promoters Association when he owes BSA money and a former boxer who has since been deceased, Lwandile Sityata, had to obtain a civil judgment against him in June 2022 and (b). what are the reasons that no disciplinary action has been instituted against the person who has cancelled at least three tournaments in the first half of 2023 alone; (4). whether he will furnish Mr T W Mhlongo with a copy of the Constitution of the National Professional Promoters Association; if not, why not; if so, on what date?
Reply:
The following responses were provided by Boxing SA.
Most promoters owe Boxing South Africa due to the income declarations that are made after tournaments through affidavits in terms of the Boxing Regulations.
(a)(i)&(II) The Board resolved to establish a sub-committee that looks at the tournament applications of each promoter and each promoter that is owing Boxing South Africa appears before the committee to commit to some arrangement in terms of which the debt can be settled and once this arrangement is in place the promoter is then allowed to stage tournaments subject to payment arrangements as approved by this committee.
(b). All promoters who owe Boxing South Africa are subject to this arrangement and therefore none of the debts by the promoters have prescribed.
(2). Boxing SA indicates that it is not correct to suggest that a promoter has been banned from staging tournaments. It is only those who have not made suitable arrangements with BSA that have not been allowed to stage tournaments.
(a). The National Professional Boxing Promoter Associations is an independent structure of licensed promoters established in terms of section 28 of the Boxing Act. This structure operates on its own constitution, and it held elections of its leadership, and all the office bearers were duly elected in an open and transparent process. It is not for BSA to dictate who are supposed to be the leaders of the structure. As far as the question around the boxer is concerned, it must be noted that contracts between Promoters and Boxers are concluded without the intervention of Boxing South Africa and so are disputes arising therefrom.
(b). Tournaments are cancelled for a variety of reasons, and it is not a breach of any Rule of BSA to cancel tournaments as cancellation of tournaments happens routinely across the world and therefore there is no basis to charge any promoter noncancellation tournaments. In fact, the Boxing regulations recognises that boxing tournaments may be cancelled or be postponed for a variety of reasons.