The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Sport and Recreation SA and Programme Director Mr Paena Galane;
The Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation SA and Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Sport Indaba Mr Gert Oosthuizen;
The Director-General of Sport and Recreation SA and Member of the Steering Committee of the Boxing Indaba, Mr Alec Moemi;
The remaining members of the Boxing South Africa Board;
The representatives of the South African National Amateur Boxing Association;
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Fourth Estate, the Media so to speak;
Greetings to all here present;
Allow me the rare and unique privilege of expressing our deepest and heartfelt gratitude to all peace-loving and compatriotic South Africans who heeded our plausible call to celebrate and advance the legacy of Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela in the past weekend. Our President commanded us to salute Madiba’s revolutionary drive for freedom and equality. Our Cabinet and the peoples’ Parliament endorsed the invocation and promotion of Madiba’s legacy of peace, human rights, reconciliation, nation building, social cohesion and human progress.
South Africans from all walks of life re-ignited, re-affirmed and justified Madiba’s dream of unity and peace in our motherland. Today we stand before you to proclaim that the inaugural Mandela Sport and Culture Day was a resounding success and momentous occasion, which will remain, engraved in our hearts and minds for many years to come and for many generations to emulate.
A special gratitude to the Mandela family, our trusted and valued partners, generous sponsors, selfless volunteers and fun-loving fans for their exhibition of patriotism and unity in action. Today South Africa is a winner as we all delivered an incident free event watched and witnessed by many in the continent and the world over with great interest and zeal.
Like true sports men and women, more so poignant on Women’s Month, we say congratulations to the Italian Masters! Congratulations to Bafana Bafana! Bravo to the Mighty Amabhokobhoko! The Mighty Springboks the two times International Rugby Board (IRB) World Cup Champions for their never die spirit and always living to the occasion! We also say well done to all the artists who performed at this memorable occasion. This last weekend, we expressed in unison our profound appreciation and wish for the speedy recovery of our national hero and international icon. Long Live Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela.
Emboldened by this success and inspired to succeed as a sporting nation, we will during the course of September 2013 host a National Convention for boxing in South Africa.
We want to state upfront that we are convening this National Boxing Indaba to be preceded by nine Provincial Izindaba to safeguard the interest of the boxer. Hence our Theme: “Galvanising the future of Boxing for the Boxer”
The rationale for the above theme is placing the interest of the athlete at the centre of our development trajectory and improving the governance of the sport. This theme enjoins all involved in the development and business of boxing to prioritise the boxer and be seized with the well-being, nurturing and success of the boxer at all times.
As we stated in our: Joint Media Statement with Boxing South Africa (BSA) on the turnaround of Boxing on the 20th March 2013 in Cape Town: “We have both realistic and ambitious plans that in our view will invariably be a cause for robust debates and demand for mind-set shift within the sector. In anticipation of such robust engagement and mind-set shift, we have taken the liberty of convening a Boxing Indaba in 2013 involving all stakeholders to deliberate on all matters that affect Boxing in South Africa and ensure that there is clarity on our delivery strategy for boxing in our country.
We are sure that this is not just going to be a talk-shop but a conference that will after deliberations produce resolutions, consequential and declaration to be signed and implemented by all. This to us is a defining moment in South African boxing”.
The Provincial Izindaba and National Indaba are platforms for open and transparent engagement and exchange of ideas and views for all stakeholders involved, associated or affected or impacted by boxing in South Africa. There have been in the past similar conventions and conferences initiated to deliberate on the same topic. We are also mindful of several interventions in the past that were unfortunately characterised by lack of theoretical clarity, sense of purpose and vision for the success and sustenance of boxing in our country.
Our observation is that there has been too much talk and nobody listening and implementing. We have now decided that the time has come for us to devise and design a practical turnaround strategy for boxing based on sound business, commercial and governance models. To this end, we have directed the Deputy Minister as the Chairperson of the National Steering Committee on Boxing to be cascaded to provinces and districts.
The Steering Committee’s primary task is to convene an all-embracing, inclusive and all stakeholders Provincial Izindaba and National Indaba to review our boxing landscape with the sole purpose of devising a turnaround strategy for amateur/ open boxing. The Steering Committee, must as it does canvass the views of boxers, trainers, promoters, managers, ring officials and all seized with the development and business of boxing in South Africa. The Steering committee is as a matter of course and necessity mobilising the boxing sector through a consultative process and preparing for the convening of the provincial Izindaba and national Indaba of (amateur) open and professional boxing in South Africa.
The aim of the Boxing Indaba is to deliberate on effective and efficient good practices that will improve the administration, governance and regulation of open and professional boxing.
The following objectives will guide the conduct and discussions that will take place at the Indaba:
- To ensure and safeguard the safety, health, and general well-being of open and professional boxers
- Profile and promote women’s boxing through vibrant and directed programmes
- To resuscitate and promote boxing in all the provinces
- To improve the stature of national and provincial boxing titles
- To position Boxing SA and SANABO as the custodians of boxing in South Africa as one of the “priority” codes given specialised attention in 2013, and as a point of reference for all international sanctioning bodies
The discussion at the boxing Indaba will be enhanced and enriched by both local and grass roots views, together with experts and both local and international role-players . We invited international speakers from both professional and open boxing structures to address the national Indaba with a view to drawing opinions from international best practices for standard setting and benchmarking in South Africa.
A number of current and recently produced documents are in circulation within the sector to guide and inform our approach and discussions in the build up to the Provincial Izindaba and National Indaba.
These include, but are not limited to the:-
- Boxing Indaba Framework Document
- Boxing Perspective Document
- Presentation on Marketing, Sponsorship and Broadcasting of Boxing
- Presentation on the draft Combat Sports Bill
- SA Boxing Act 11 of 2001
- Constitution of SANABO
- Nevada Athletic Commission
- Power point presentation to introduce the Provincial Izindaba and set the scene
- Programmes for Provincial & National Izindaba
The broad topics on the programme of all provinces and the National Indaba include the following: The regulatory framework for boxing; marketing and promotion of boxing; the Development and Governance of boxing; scientific/medical aspects and capacity development. We are delighted to announce that the National Boxing Indaba will take place on 27 to 28 September 2013, in Johannesburg, Gauteng province.
The following provinces confirmed and declared the dates for hosting the Provincial Izindaba as follows:
Eastern Cape province, from 30 to 31 August 2013
Free State province, from the 30 to 31 August 2013
KwaZulu-Natal province, from 9 to 10 September 2013
Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape and Gauteng: all these provinces will hold their Provincial Izindaba from 6 to 7 September 2013.
The MECs in the Provinces will be driving the Provincial Izindaba and we will soon be holding a Joint MINMEC to further sharpen our approach and strengthen our input as the government sector in preparation for the Izindaba culminating in the National Indaba.
I would like to take this opportunity to inform all South Africans and our international partners that the challenges facing boxing in South Africa today will not be resolved overnight and through stopgap measures. We are working on a comprehensive strategic plan that takes into account immediate, short term and long-term interventions and implementation strategies. We need stability and vision at leadership level. We need discipline and relentless execution at administrative and management level. On our part, we have resolved to retain the current four BSA Board Members to entrench continuity.
We have accepted the resignation of Mr Ngconde Balfour as the Chairperson and member of the Board of Boxing South Africa and we are further appointing Ms Ntambi Ravele as the Acting Chairperson of Boxing South Africa with immediate effect. I will in the coming days publish an invitation for nominations in order to fill the vacancies on the Board. It is my humble request to all stakeholders in Boxing to take advantage of this window of opportunity to identify capable and competent men and women with a passion for boxing, who will propel boxing to quality, new work ethic, success and excellence on the local and global stage.
We expect and intend to emerge from this Boxing Indaba with a viable and sustainable model for boxing in South Africa. We must emerge with broadcasting, marketing strategy, and revenue generating and collection plan in the interest of the boxer and sustenance of Boxing South Africa as a public entity whose survival we are severally and collectively responsible for. We must emerge with a solid governance model and alignment plan that enforces greater articulation between open and professional boxing.
Our Indaba must ensure that the provinces and SASCOC work closely with schools, the army, the police and the correctional services structures to promote and support the growth of boxing from development to high performance levels. We will not rest until our lightweight, welterweight, heavy weight boxers return to the international community of boxing and are beamed from the screens of our televisions for all boxing loving people to watch and see.
Let us all prepare thoroughly for the Provincial and National Indaba. Let us be robust and brutally frank for herein lies the future of boxing in our country! How we must be disciplined, respect each other’s roles, observe the rules of engagement guided by the principle of self-criticism and constructive criticism. As Mohammed Ali used to say: “Let’s float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” We have to become productive like bees, and have an impact like bee stings. The Match is on. Let us box. Toe to toe, blow by blow! However, no blows should be struck below the belt, please.
I thank you
