Drivers hoot at a man being pushed in a wheelchair in NU 7 Mdantsane, but he does not stop or be distracted from reaching his destination at Songeze Primary School.
This is the daily routine for former professional boxer Luvuyo Tyamzashe in his dedication to transfer his boxing dream to the young boxers in the area after his own was ruthlessly cut short when he suffered head injuries in his fight against Mthuthuzeli Gubevu in a high-stakes junior-featherweight bout in 1985.
Tyamzashe was rushed to hospital, where he lost consciousness for seven days and had to remain there for three months.
His family consulted a traditional healer, who asked the hospital to release him under his care.
He partially recovered but is confined to a wheelchair for life.
The incident did not dissuade him from pursuing his boxing passion and he began training youngsters in the area, wheeling his chair to the nearby school where his gymnasium, Luvuyo Tyamzashe Boxing Club, is housed.
His selfless work attracted the attention of Andile Ace Mshumpela, whose own boxing passion was only limited to being a fan before facing the daily challenges of managing a club.
Mshumpela’s boxing passion took him to big bouts abroad, allowing him to rub shoulders with the stars, trainers, managers and legends who shared their knowledge of the sport with him.
“I absorbed all that expertise and used it to manage the club,” he said.
Since teaming up with Mshumpela, the club has flourished, having produced a slew of provincial champions such as Enathi Stelle, who was the poster boy until he decided to leave after his 26-second knockout loss to Phumelela Cafu in a SA junior-bantamweight title clash.
Stelle’s departure did not dampen the spirit of other aspirant boxers such as Bongani Fule, who is the shining star of the club.
Fule, who had to quit his day job and relocate from Makhanda to pursue his boxing career, won the Eastern Cape junior-lightweight title when he stopped Mvuzo Kotobe in Port Alfred in 2023.
He dropped down to the featherweight division to win the provincial crown, stopping Abelo Tokwe in four rounds at the Ginsberg Community Hall in Qonce two months ago.
Tyamzashe, who provides the technical aspect of the training duties while also taking over pad-work, was at ringside and after Fule had been declared the winner he leapt over the ropes to celebrate with his wheelchair-bound mentor.
Former SA junior-welterweight champion Mzolisi Yoyo and Lulama Ntoba assist Tyamzashe to tackle the physicality, with Mshumpela handling the management side.
This includes organising sparring sessions against other clubs and fundraising initiatives through exhibition bouts.
One of the initiatives has led to the roping in of partners to hold an annual Luvuyo Tyamzashe sparring session which will see Yoyo facing Fule in a six-round exhibition bout at the NU 12 community hall in Mdantsane on Sunday next week.
“We are grateful to Xola Ntintili and Mkhumbuzi Mbi and Dr Bhekisisa Mthembu for their financial support of this initiative,” he said.
Four other bouts will complete the event, whose admission will be R20 for kids and R50 for adults.
DispatchLIVE
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