Bribery allegations made by Golden Gloves Promotions (GGP) against the official who officiated at the world title fight in Cape Town will be dealt with by Boxing SA (BSA) in a meeting at Midrand on Thursday.
This was disclosed by BSA spokesperson Loyiso Mtya amid worsening ties between GGP boss Rodney Berman and his rival, Branco Milenkovic, who promoted the fight.
Milenkovic’s charge Mzonke Fana dethroned Malcolm Klassen — belonging to Berman — of his IBF junior lightweight title at in Khayelitsha, Cape Town last weekend.
Berman protested against the outcome and later revealed that one of the officials, Alfred Buqwana from Johannesburg, had asked GGP secretary Shona MacTaggart to sponsor his trip to the IBF convention in Florida, United States, at the end of May but she refused.
Buqwana and Cape Town judge Deon Duarte scored the fight in Fana’s favour by 116-113 and 116-112 respectively, while East London judge Lulama Mtya scored the fight in favour of Klassen by 115-114.
On Wednesday, Mtya revealed that Berman had informed him that Buqwana was the official at the centre of the scandal, but Berman declined to file an official complaint about the matter to BSA or to the IBF.
Despite Berman’s refusal to file an official complaint, Mtya said the matter could not be left unattended. ”This is a serious allegation for us to just fold our arms because Berman does not want to officially complain,” he said.
BSA has now called Buqwana, Berman, MacTaggart and Milenkovic to a meeting at its offices in Midrand to get to the bottom of the matter. ”We know we do not have a legal entity to pursue this matter, but we as Boxing SA felt that we could not just sit back and do nothing.”
Mtya said BSA will try to mediate a truce between the warring parties. ”This of course does not prevent any party from taking a legal action if it deems necessary,” he said.
Milenkovic, who has been indirectly linked with financing Buqwana’s trip to the IBF convention, said he has not yet decided to pursue the matter. ”I am currently busy sorting the technicalities of last weekend’s fight and do not forget that my other fighter Simpiwe Vetyeka is challenging for the world title next week, so my hands are tight,” he said.
He did express his dismay at Berman’s allegations, saying the GGP boss is a bitter loser. ”I understand that losing a title like then IBF must be painful to Berman, but his actions — even during the fight — are shameful, to say the least.”
Berman said he sees no need to file a complaint against Buqwana. ”Firstly he approached us a few weeks before the fight and by that time we did not know that he was to officiate at the fight,” he said. — Sapa