Bongani Magasela
Bongani Magasela
Recklessness or negligence could be the cause of the death of boxer Samora "Laciar" Msophi, who died on Monday due to injuries he sustained in the ring last Friday night.
Msophi collapsed in the fourth round after taking a severe pounding from Mfundo Gwayana for the South African junior flyweight belt at the Orient Theatre in East London.
He underwent an operation at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital on Saturday but died on Monday.
Fingers are being pointed at referee Alan Matakane and trainer Boyboy Mpulampula for not stopping the fight.
They say it was clear that something was not right with Msophi after his knockdown in the first round.
But witness Siyolo Dabula blames the paramedics whom he accused of being "reckless".
Dabula, a retired professional boxer who was involved in promoting the fight, said Boxing SA chairman Peter Ngatane, a medical doctor, had tried unsuccessfully to revive Msophi, and then ordered the paramedics to bring oxygen, which he said had to be fetched from outside the always packed boxing venue.
"When it arrived, it did not work properly. Ngatane fiddled with it but to no avail. He then told them to bring a stretcher and rush Msophi to hospital.
"All that took 20 minutes. Clearly that equipment was never tested," he said in anger.
Ngatane said he told Phakamile Jacobs, Boxing SA's representative in Eastern Cape, to get a report from all those parties.
"I was not an assigned doctor for that bout but I took over after realising that a human life was at stake," he said yesterday.
According to Daily Dispatch, Sowetan's sister newspaper, the dead boxer's uncle, Anele Msophi, grandfather Clifford Msophi, trainer Vuyani Bungu and friends are demanding to know why this lopsided clash was allowed to continue after the knockdown in the first round.
Did negligence cost life?
Bongani Magasela
Bongani Magasela
Recklessness or negligence could be the cause of the death of boxer Samora "Laciar" Msophi, who died on Monday due to injuries he sustained in the ring last Friday night.
Msophi collapsed in the fourth round after taking a severe pounding from Mfundo Gwayana for the South African junior flyweight belt at the Orient Theatre in East London.
He underwent an operation at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital on Saturday but died on Monday.
Fingers are being pointed at referee Alan Matakane and trainer Boyboy Mpulampula for not stopping the fight.
They say it was clear that something was not right with Msophi after his knockdown in the first round.
But witness Siyolo Dabula blames the paramedics whom he accused of being "reckless".
Dabula, a retired professional boxer who was involved in promoting the fight, said Boxing SA chairman Peter Ngatane, a medical doctor, had tried unsuccessfully to revive Msophi, and then ordered the paramedics to bring oxygen, which he said had to be fetched from outside the always packed boxing venue.
"When it arrived, it did not work properly. Ngatane fiddled with it but to no avail. He then told them to bring a stretcher and rush Msophi to hospital.
"All that took 20 minutes. Clearly that equipment was never tested," he said in anger.
Ngatane said he told Phakamile Jacobs, Boxing SA's representative in Eastern Cape, to get a report from all those parties.
"I was not an assigned doctor for that bout but I took over after realising that a human life was at stake," he said yesterday.
According to Daily Dispatch, Sowetan's sister newspaper, the dead boxer's uncle, Anele Msophi, grandfather Clifford Msophi, trainer Vuyani Bungu and friends are demanding to know why this lopsided clash was allowed to continue after the knockdown in the first round.
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