McKenzie brings tears of joy to legend 'Tap Tap' Makhathini with R80k windfall

Who said tigers don't cry? Boxers are perceived to be men-at-arms but they, too, have their soft spots.

That was the case on Monday evening when Elijah "Tap Tap" Makhathini broke down and cried after being blessed with R80,000 by sports minister Gayton McKenzie during the dinner he had with the boxing fraternity at Freedom Park in Pretoria.

Makhathini, 84, is the former SA middleweight champion from Habeni in KwaZulu-Natal and was the first black boxer to fight for a mixed-race SA title in 1976.

All 36 of boxing old-time greats including the country's first-ever WBC champion, Thulani "Sugar Boy" Malinga and former IBF heavyweight holder Francis "White Buffalo" Botha, walked away grinning from ear-to-ear after being given R80,000 each.

“Every legend, all 36 of them including women, we are giving each R80,000 to take home,” said McKenzie, who added that his department kick-started the revival of the Benevolent Fund with a million rand.

“The Benevolent Fund has been emptied by previous officials. I’m coming for them," he said. "We will get all the insurance companies to underwrite every boxer in this country. When a boxer gets injured, his family must not run around looking for money for medical attention.”

Former national champions who did not get their belts from 2010 were presented with their belts and certificates of appreciation for their contribution to the sport. 

McKenzie also spoke out against the exploitation of boxers by some promoters, especially those whose tournaments are funded by taxpayers.

“Some of the promoters get R1m and they give boxers R4,000. From today, if the provincial government gives you R1m as a promoter, 20% of that money, which is R200,000, must go to the person fighting,” he said.

“We, as the department of sport, arts and culture ... are giving fighters, before promoters, money, we are subsidising every boxer fighting in this country by giving them R10,000. That’s not the prize money. No boxing must happen unless a promoter matches that rand-for-rand. No boxing match if the fighter gets under R20,000.”

McKenzie then issued a directive to BSA acting CEO Tsholofelo Lejaka: "Don’t be in a hurry for fights to happen. No promoter must bully you. No fight shall happen until the money for the boxers is there. The time is over when promoters are controlling politicians on what shall happen."

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