In his prime Xolani Ali Kemka was regarded as one of the most exciting boxers to come from the Eastern Cape.
Though not renowned as a heavy puncher, his cunning boxing skills, ring IQ and superior movement inside many boxing arenas across the province won the hearts of many boxing followers.
In a career spanning almost two decades, he battled and overcame worthy adversaries like Welcome Ncita, who would later become world champion and Nceba Dladla, a former Dispatch scribe and now Boxing SA’s Eastern Cape manager.
On November 1, the long-retired Komani-born former Cape bantamweight champ will be involved in a different type of battle when he tries to win the hearts of the people of Mlungisi township’s ward 14 under the Enoch Mgijima local municipality as their next ward councillor.
Kemka will be contesting as an independent candidate.
“In the past, many people wanted me to avail myself for the position of ward councillor,” he told the Daily Dispatch this week.
“But honestly, at the time I felt I was just not ready. There were a lot of things that were happening and I did not think I was mature enough back then. But now I am ready for any punch.”
Born in 1964, Kemka started boxing in the amateur ranks in 1973 before turning professional in 1982.
In 1989, he became a Cape bantamweight champion and officially retired from the sport in 2000.
He said as a young boy growing up in Mdantsane he had always been surrounded by politics.
“I grew up in a political home as our house was a hideout for ANC liberation fighters from Komani who wanted to skip the country.
“ANC leaders from Komani used to come to our house a lot. I have been a member of the ANC for as long as I can remember.”
Kemka, however, is disappointed that despite the ANC having governed the country for almost 30 years, he believes that many promises have not been kept.
“How do you keep voting for someone when the street lights are not working and when the roads where you live are dilapidated and full of potholes?”
After retiring from boxing, Kemka spent many years teaching drama, boxing and aerobox (a combination of boxing and aerobics) to young people in Komani.
He is also a graphic designer, playwriter, actor and is authoring his first book.
He believes that as a ward councillor, one has to be visible in the community.
Kemka says he wants to prioritise the development of young people in his ward by creating jobs using arts and culture.
“We need to push young people to become entrepreneurs but we cannot forget about older people as they also have families and children to take care of.
“We can create job opportunities. Our pavements in the townships are dirty.
“Our roads are crumbling, but we bring other people from outside to fix them.”
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