Boxing SA has scheduled a meeting with promoters to discuss financial increases promised by sports minister Gayton McKenzie in the boxing indaba in East London in February.
McKenzie promised sweeping changes in the financial standing of licensees, including ring officials, by committing his department to subsidising boxers’ purses in a bid to curb underpayments.
Amid raucous applause, McKenzie said he was appalled by the meagre purses of boxers as some promoters were still paying them R1,000 per round.
“I want to challenge promoters to meet the department’s subsidy amount in every bout to bring up boxers’ purses,” he said.
The ring officials were also promised an increase to boost their meagre pay despite handling an average of seven bouts per tournament.
McKenzie has already delivered on his promise to provide the officials with new uniforms, but the financial aspect is yet to be fulfilled.
BSA’s newly elected chief executive, Tsholofelo Lejaka, said the structure had already laid out plans to implement the financial aspects.
“We have done the figure crunching and we know to what extent we can apply the scenario,” he said.
“We will be meeting the promoters, hopefully this week, so that they can start budgeting for their tournaments differently.”
He said BSA was waiting for the department to release the budget for the programmes McKenzie had promised, including the increases.
One of the programmes is the Steve Tshwete Boxing Series, which is scheduled to be inaugurated at East London’s Orient Theatre before the end of the year.
McKenzie said the series, set to be staged in all active boxing provinces, would revolutionise boxing in the country.
Lejaka said promoters would be required to bid for the tournaments, though the level of bouts expected to be featured was yet to be confirmed.
“This is another aspect which will be determined by the budget the department decides on and we expect that to be finalised this month.”
Lejaka lamented BSA’s dire financial state, which had been attributed to reckless spending by the previous administration, leading to a government bailout to ensure the continuation of some of the programmes, including payment of salaries.
“There was a culture of prudent spending without following due processes.
“There was a slight improvement in this regard, but it has regressed, and there is now a big financial deficit which we should work to turn around.”
Besides the reckless spending which McKenzie promised would be investigated,BSA also cited the debt owed by promoters as well as the multimillion-rand settlement with former chief executive Moffat Qithi as contributing factors.
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.