APPOINTMENTS AT BOXING SOUTH AFRICA
We welcome the members of the media in attendance, the Boxing SA licensees represented by the Chairpersons and Secretaries of the various Associations, our various stakeholders in attendance, and the Boxing SA management and staff. Thank you for availing yourselves.
The purpose of this briefing today is twofold:
1) Announce appointment of the Executive Leadership of Boxing South Africa to assume office from January 2022.
2) Reflect on the first 12 months in office of the current Board as well as make brief projections.
1. Appointment of the Executive Leadership of Boxing South Africa to assume office from January 2022.
As a sequel to the resignation of Ms. Cindy Nkomo in September, we announced to the public that we will activate processes of ensuring that there is a smooth transition within the administration of the organisation. Indeed, there has been a smooth transition and thanks to the outgoing Acting Chief Executive Officer and Director of Operations for her total commitment in working with the Board to manage the transition. As you may be aware, Ms. Nkomo had been appointed as the acting Chief Executive Officer since August 2020, a position which also becomes vacant with her departure from Boxing SA. So effectively, we have two vacancies.
Following the recent recruitment process undertaken to fill the position of Director of Operations, Boxing SA is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Mandla Ntlanganiso in this position with effect from 01 January 2022.
Mr. Ntlanganiso holds a BTech qualification in Business Administration and a National Diploma in Office Management and Technology and has occupied various senior management and executive leadership positions in a broad range of sectors. He is not new to the sport of boxing, Ntlanganiso previously served as a Boxing SA Board member between 2011 and 2014 and thus brings with him vast knowledge and experience of the pugilist. He is the former President and Secretary General of the Western Province Boxing Organisation and is currently a member of the Sanctioning Committee, a position he will vacate before taking up office in January. His experience will no doubt be beneficial as he engages and interacts with a diverse population of boxing stakeholders and partners and most notably, boxing licensees. We are therefore confident that he will be at ease to take on the responsibility of a Director of Operation and the Board
together with Boxing SA management and staff will continuously give necessary support to ensure that he succeeds in the role.
With the appointment of the Director of Operations finalised, the Board considered various approaches to address the vacant CEO post. After consultation with Minister Mthethwa, the Board has resolved to appoint Mr. Erick Nsikayezwe Sithole as acting Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1 January 2022 until 31 March 2022. Mr. Sithole is currently serving as a Boxing SA Board member since this current Board’s appointment in December 2020 and serves as a member in one of the Board subcommittees.
Mr. Sithole holds a Masters in Business Administration & Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management and Administration both from the University of Stellenbosch Business School. He also holds the post graduate qualification in Professional Accountancy (SAIPA), a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Internal Auditing from UNISA and a National Diploma in Financial Management from Umfolozi FET College.
He is the Founder and CEO of both Nsikayezwe Management Consultants and Nsikayezwe Global and a lecturer at the Management College of Southern Africa (Mancosa) and Regent Business School.
We are indebted as the Board to Mr Sithole for agreeing to step in for a short period as part of a transition executive leadership for Boxing SA. This team will also be supported by our legal team in ensuring that all the assignments they carry in the intervening period are above board and are consistent with the relevant policy and legal prescripts.
We ask that you join us in welcoming both Mr. Sithole and Mr. Ntlanganiso and trust that you will give them the necessary support during their time in office.
2. Reflect on the first 12 months in office of the current Board.
The past 12 months in office could be characterised in our view as a period of Agenda Setting. This was born out of two choices: accelerate a march to the brink by sustaining the status quo or choose a high road of renewal, growth and transformation. An easier road, but a necessary one. We set ourselves a daunting task of mobilising the fraternity behind this ambitious programme and crisis crossed the country communicating consistently this message. We are glad that this message has received overwhelming support. We are left with few provinces, and hopefully we will complete these before the end of the financial year. Having set the agenda, the even more important task is to mobilise the fraternity towards a united action. For instance, having finalised the Back to Basic programme and a proposal on Baby Champs revival, we will now move towards prototyping. Below we list some key milestones of our first year in office.
No. |
ITEM |
STATUS |
1. |
Strategic Planning Session |
Served as a basis for the birthing of the renewal, growth and transformation agenda and alignment of the vision between the Board and management as well as stakeholder engagement. |
2. |
Boxing SA Board Roadshows |
Despite the challenges related to Covid-19, the Board has interacted with various boxing licensees in Roadshows in the following provinces:
Purpose
|
3. |
Relationship with SANABO |
The overall objective of this MoU is to improve and reaffirm the working relationship between Boxing SA and SANABO. Specific objectives are: a. To promote and protect the fundamental interests of both Boxing SA and SANABO, b. To develop a clear Boxer graduation process from open boxing to professional boxing, i.e., turning professional, c. To develop and enhance the education of trainers, managers, promoters, matchmakers, seconds, referees, judges as well as support service practitioners such as ringside physicians, paramedics, security, technicians, and legal practitioners who all participate in the sport of boxing, d. To devise programmes geared towards acquiring boxing facilities for both BSA licensed members and SANABO registered members. Professional boxing cannot thrive in the country without a firm foundation at open boxing level (amateurs). The Act provides for a clear opportunity for collaboration and shared programmes and projects in boxing development for South Africa. The Memorandum of Agreement is generally agreed upon between the two sister organisations. It is hoped that the MoU will be signed before the end of the year or early in the new year.
|
4. |
Promotion and protection of the South African National Titles as the pride of the nation |
|
5. |
Establishment of the Back-to-Basics team |
|
6. |
Transformation of the sport of boxing |
|
7. |
Collaboration with Provincial Departments and Local Government institutions |
The support boxing is receiving in KZN, Gauteng, EC, Mpumalanga, Nelson Mandela Metro, Buffalo City Municipality, among others, bodes well for the future development of the sport. |
8. |
Relationship with International Boxing Bodies |
The Board of Boxing South African is working well with the International Boxing Bodies. To strengthen this relationship further, it has crafted a criteria for the recognition of International Boxing Bodies operating in the country to ensure synergy between these world organisations and Boxing SA for the benefit of the country’s boxers. |
9. |
Boxing Heritage |
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10. |
Fourth Industrial Revolution |
Boxing SA has migrated from the manual system of licensing to an on-line system. This may have its teething challenges for now but must be applauded as it has eased a lot of traveling costs related to licensing. |
11. |
Live television coverage for boxing |
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12. |
New Sanctioning model |
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Now that there is a common agenda on the futures of professional boxing in the country, the focus going forward will be three things:
Issued by the Board of Boxing South Africa