By Mesuli Zifo
Promising young South African boxer Phendula Kolisi, a rising junior flyweight star, was laid to rest at the weekend after he was killed in a shebeen in the Mdantsane township in East London two weeks ago.
Kolisi was buried at his NU 1 Mdantsane home leaving boxing in the country with a bloodied nose once again.
His passing caps an unprecedented string of boxers who have suffered a similar death in the country.
Just six months ago promising featherweight boxer Lwando Molwana was stabbed to death in a shebeen in Cape Town. A day later, veteran welterweight boxer Boitshepo Mandawe also died in a stabbing incident in Soweto.
In recent years the East London boxing fraternity has mourned the loss of several boxers through stabbing such as - Promising junior featherweight Stanley Gola; flyweight Mbulelo Mpendu, junior featherweight Lundi Madondile, featherweight Thamsanqa Dubase , Luthando Joni, Lulama Ngqayimbana, Thulani Vena, Malibongwe Silinyane and Mandisi Sizani.
Mzukisi Sikali who once challenged Vic Darchinyan for the IBF/IBO flyweight title in 2005 also lost his precious life in a stabbing incident.
Others such as rising star Luthando Bhaneti, had their careers cut short due to injuries sustained in stabbing incidents.
Kolisi’s death has sparked boxing stakeholders to sit up and take action.
National commission provincial manager Phakamile Jacobs admitted that awareness programmes to educate boxers about the dangers of frequenting shebeens were required.
“This has been unprecedented in recent years because obviously our boxers do not understand that they are now professionals and therefore should desist to visit unholy spots such as shebeens,” he said.
Details about the death of Kolisi remain sketchy with even his manager Ayanda Matiti unable to shed light on what had led to the stabbing.
At the time of his death Kolisi was only 23 years old and destined for stardom. He had lost just a single fight in six bouts winning the rest by stoppages and had jumped from seventh spot on the national rankings to fourth.
Matiti said at the time of his death Kolisi had already received approval to challenge for the vacant WBO Africa junior flyweight crown in East London.
“The fight was scheduled for May 15 and I was on my way to tell him when instead I got the shocking news of his death,” he said.
