A veil of secrecy shrouds the resignation of Boxing SA-Eastern Cape manager Siya Vabaza-Booi, with nobody, including Vabaza-Booi, willing to reveal reasons for her shock departure.
Vabaza-Booi dropped the bombshell this week, announcing she was quitting with immediate effect after she failed to administer the weigh-in of the KM Sports tournament on Friday and also could not supervise the show at the OR Tambo Hall in Mthatha on Saturday.
Instead, BSA-KwaZulu-Natal manager Michael Dube was asked to supervise the tournament while ring officials Lulama Mtya and Ben Ncapai conducted the weigh-in ceremony.
KM Sports boss Khaya Majeke said he was informed that Vabaza-Booi was not well and could not oversee the two events.
There were allegations that Vabaza-Booi’s quitting was due to death threats she received from boxing circles.
However, she declined to confirm or deny the allegations when approached for comment.
“I am not ready to say anything for now,” was all she was prepared to say.
BSA said Vabaza-Booi’s resignation took the body by surprise, and it tried to convince her to change her mind.
“Admittedly, it has not been an easy decision to accept this resignation, which came shy of two years since Ms Vabaza-Booi commenced her responsibilities as the provincial manager in the Eastern Cape,” the body said.
Vabaza-Booi became the first woman provincial manager to be appointed to the position to replace veteran official Phakamile Jacobs.
She was also one of the first batch of women ring officials.
Her tenure was fraught with controversy, as she often clashed with licensees, especially promoters, with some bypassing her to seek the intervention of the national office.
Two East London promoters, Xaba Promotions and KayB Promotions, appealed to the BSA head office to intervene after clashing with Vabaza-Booi on numerous occasions.
Vabaza-Booi sent KayB a strongly worded letter on learning that she had been bypassed for the promotion’s application of its tournament for November 2 at the Guild Theatre.
Xaba Promotions launched an objection with the BSA board about Vabaza-Booi’s conduct related to Landile Ngxeke’s defection to No Doubt Management.
Xaba accused her of failing to provide contracts for Ngxeke and other boxers to sign, opening a gap for them to leave the promotion.
She was also accused of delaying forwarding the challenge form of Athenkosi Thongwana to Siseko Teyisi for the SA junior flyweight title, making it possible for Teyisi to take another bout in September.
BSA acknowledged the error and resolved to compensate Thongwana, promising to deduct the fee from one of its officials.
While KayB declined to comment, XP said it welcomed Vabaza-Booi’s resignation as she had had blushes with the promotions before.
“On the 8th of October 2025, we lodged an objection with the BSA board and our objection, in and among other things, was invoked by the conduct of Siya Vabaza who had conducted herself in a manner that [allegedly] sought to advantage another licensee over and above others and much to the prejudice of our promotion outfit, Xaba Promotions,” XP said.
“In their response dated 13 October 2025, and in paragraph 10 of same.
“The BSA board stated unequivocally that it was highly disturbed by the allegations we levelled against her in our objection.
“They further stated that the allegations are quite serious and would need to be properly tested and appropriate corrective measures taken, if found true.
“The BSA further stated that they had instructed the CEO to attend to this issue even beyond the matter relating to our objection.
“In our reply thereto dated 7th November 2025, we further pressed the BSA on this matter and demanded to be kept abreast of any proceedings against Siya Vabaza, seeing that we are/were effectively the complainants.”
XP denied allegations that Vabaza-Booi was given a tough time because she was a woman.
“Though we are a firm supporter of gender parity and women empowerment as a matter of principle, her tenure was riddled with incompetence and, in our view, a total misrepresentation of the majority of capable women in the context of women empowerment struggles in SA, which must always be at the centre of any development,” it said.
BSA said Jacobs would take over the role in an acting capacity until a suitable candidate was found.
Jacobs, who held the position for decades and was accused of dictatorship and arrogance, threatened BSA with legal action when he was replaced by Vabaza-Booi after the expiry of his term.
He will be required to hit the ground running by administering Saturday’s Pepzin Tournament in Komani.
Daily Dispatch
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