“Bhuti Luvuyo and myself get invited to the gala dinner. The next thing, the minister is addressing the fraternity about me. And, I am like, ‘what have I done now for the minister to talk about me, except humbly requesting his assistance [for Tyamzashe]’.”
McKenzie told him: “I just want to thank you, you are a true friend. For your friendship, we would like to give you R20,000.”
Little did McKenzie know that his benevolence would help Mshumpela to register for his sixth degree.
“I was broke,” he says. “This money from the minister has helped me towards my tuition fees and registration. I want minister McKenzie to know that I am using it for a good cause.
“I appreciate what the minister did, not only for me but also in purchasing a motorised wheelchair for Bhuti Luvuyo and the R100,000 the minister gave to him.”
McKenzie said: “I was in East London when a gentleman [Mshumpela] came to me and asked for a motorised wheelchair for Luvuyo, who got injured in the ring.
“He’s been using a very old wheelchair and was struggling to get around. Luvuyo, I want to give you the wheelchair [and] I want to give you R100,000 from the department of sports. You didn’t walk away from the sport of boxing after you got injured.”
Mshumpela says it did not once cross his mind that he would be rewarded for helping Tyamzashe. He manages the former pro boxer’s gym in Mdantsane, East London, and all its fighters.
Most of the champions Tyamzashe has produced — Enathi Stelle, Bongani Fule, Lulama Tyamzashe and Zandile Dyonase — have won Eastern Cape provincial titles.
Tyamzashe said: “I helped Nhlanhla Tyirha to equal the record of Vic Toweel, who won the SA bantamweight title in his fourth fight in 1949; Tyirha won his SA junior bantamweight title in his fourth fight in 2018.
Tyamzashe was stopped within the distance by Mthuthuzeli Gubevu during a bout in 1995.
He fell into a coma after the fight, but eventually recovered. Later, his legs gave in and he found himself in a wheelchair. But his love for boxing never died, and he started training fighters at Philani Primary School in Mdantsane. He also trained Mandla Ntlanganiso, who is now COO of Boxing SA.
SowetanLIVE
'Good-friend' boxing manager Mshumpela knocked out by sports minister's gift
The 'Black Buffalo' said he didn't expect a reward for asking the minister to buy a wheelchair for trainer Luvuyo Tyamzashe
Image: Monwabisi Jimlongo
Sports minister Gayton McKenzie’s R20,000 gift to boxing manager Andile Mshumpela “for being a good friend” to former pro boxer Luvuyo Tyamzashe, has enabled Mshumpela to register in time for his PhD degree.
Mshumpela, popularly known as “Black Buffalo” in boxing circles, revealed this to me today.
“The money came in handy,” Mshumpela said, “because I needed to register for my PhD degree but did not have the money, and the closing date was the end of April. This is my final year.
“You know, God works in mysterious ways. The minister, whom I approached during the Boxing Convention in East London last month for assistance to purchase a wheelchair for Bhuti Luvuyo Tyamzashe called for a dinner with boxing legends.
“Bhuti Luvuyo and myself get invited to the gala dinner. The next thing, the minister is addressing the fraternity about me. And, I am like, ‘what have I done now for the minister to talk about me, except humbly requesting his assistance [for Tyamzashe]’.”
McKenzie told him: “I just want to thank you, you are a true friend. For your friendship, we would like to give you R20,000.”
Little did McKenzie know that his benevolence would help Mshumpela to register for his sixth degree.
“I was broke,” he says. “This money from the minister has helped me towards my tuition fees and registration. I want minister McKenzie to know that I am using it for a good cause.
“I appreciate what the minister did, not only for me but also in purchasing a motorised wheelchair for Bhuti Luvuyo and the R100,000 the minister gave to him.”
McKenzie said: “I was in East London when a gentleman [Mshumpela] came to me and asked for a motorised wheelchair for Luvuyo, who got injured in the ring.
“He’s been using a very old wheelchair and was struggling to get around. Luvuyo, I want to give you the wheelchair [and] I want to give you R100,000 from the department of sports. You didn’t walk away from the sport of boxing after you got injured.”
Mshumpela says it did not once cross his mind that he would be rewarded for helping Tyamzashe. He manages the former pro boxer’s gym in Mdantsane, East London, and all its fighters.
Most of the champions Tyamzashe has produced — Enathi Stelle, Bongani Fule, Lulama Tyamzashe and Zandile Dyonase — have won Eastern Cape provincial titles.
Tyamzashe said: “I helped Nhlanhla Tyirha to equal the record of Vic Toweel, who won the SA bantamweight title in his fourth fight in 1949; Tyirha won his SA junior bantamweight title in his fourth fight in 2018.
Tyamzashe was stopped within the distance by Mthuthuzeli Gubevu during a bout in 1995.
He fell into a coma after the fight, but eventually recovered. Later, his legs gave in and he found himself in a wheelchair. But his love for boxing never died, and he started training fighters at Philani Primary School in Mdantsane. He also trained Mandla Ntlanganiso, who is now COO of Boxing SA.
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