Sports minister Zizi Kodwa appoints new Boxing SA board

Minister of sports, arts and culture Zizi Kodwa has appointed a new seven-member Boxing South Africa (BSA) board, which will be in office for three years. This means the board's term will end in 2026.

In his usually jolly mood, compared to the gloomy face he wore during Boxing SA's awards in July in Durban, where he raised his unhappiness about the state of boxing in the country, Kodwa announced on Tuesday that Sfiso Shongwe, Sakhiwo Sodo, Romy Titus, Nande Mshe, Princess Nongoma and Marry Sitata will be the new board members for the next three years.

They will be in office from December 12. Kodwa said Shongwe, who did wonders as a promoter under the Disney Walt Company which staged 12 well-organised tournaments live on ESPN last year, will chair the board. 

The board replaces that of chairman Luthando Jack, Gilberto Martins, Khulile Radu (who was brought in after Zandile Kabini resigned in August last year), Surej Maharaj, Azwitamisi Nthangeni, Sakhiwo Sodo and Eric Sithole.

That board was appointed in 2020. 

Sithole was acting CEO and he had been in that host seat since 2021 when Cindy Nkomo resigned as both director of operations and acting CEO.

Nkomo was appointed acting CEO in August 2020 following the sudden resignation by Tsholofelo Lejaka, whose five-year term as permanent CEO was to end in 2021.

Nkomo had been with Boxing SA for four years. Boxing SA is also without a director of operations. Mandla Nhlanganiso, who took over from Nkomo, was suspended with pay by Jack's committee in August.

Senior administrator Mncedisi Ngqumba, who worked closely with Nhlanganiso, is keeping the fires burning in that office which is responsible for the day-to-day running of the fisticuffs sport.