|
South African welterweight championship more fun than expected
On 27 March the South African welterweight championship went
according to the script, except that it was a little more fun
than was expected.
Underdog, Welcome Ntshingila, turned out to be more lively than
expected and Chris van Heerden had the edge in hand speed and
activity.
The rounds were easy to score - the judges were unanimous in
giving Van Heerden a deserved two 117-111 and a 118-110 margins.
That was his first defence of the national belt he won last
December. Van Heerden also retained his unblemished record of 13
wins and a draw while Ntshingila, who landed the heavier but
fewer blows, suffered his eighth defeat against 16 wins and
three draws.
This fight topped the four-bout card of Branco Sports Production
at Matlosana Civic Hall in Klerksdorp, North West. Van Heerden
went straight to work with his rocket-launcher right-hand jab
which was wicked throughout. He hurt Ntshingila with a torrent
of shots in the fifth and sixth rounds. The seventh was perhaps
the best. Van Heerden dropped his guard and the aggressive
Ntshingila hurt him.
But Van Heerden dug in and fought back, showing a big heart as
he unloaded his best shots which lacked zip. It looked like only
a matter of time before a stoppage could be called.
Brutality continued and in the end Doctor M'Zwakhe Qobose handed
Ntshingila a 60-day ban. The big winners were boxing gyms in and
around Matlosana. They shared boxing equipment worth R30 000
donated by promoter Branco Milenkovic. The big losers were fight
fans from thatprovince.
They missed an opportunity to see more of their own fighters in
action free of charge.
Vuyisile Rangxa (Klerksdorp) o tpointed Fanfikile Cabe
(Ekurhuleni) over eight rounds.
A bloody North West derby between Danile Botman and Amos Nhlapho
ended in the fourth round. They clashed heads and Botman was
badly hurt. A stoppage was called.
Meanwhile, Sandra Almedia outpointed Rita Mrwebi over four
rounds in the female junior middleweight fight.
NW TO STAGE
BALOYI, KLASSEN FIGHT
North West has done it again, winning the heated race to host
the historic world title fight between stablemates Cassius
Baloyi and Malcolm Klassen.
Baloyi holds the IBF junior flyweight belt. Baloyi and Klassen,
the mandatory challenger, are under one roof at the productive
boxing stable of Nick Durandt at Bree Street, downtown Jozi.
This match will be presented by multiple award winners - Branco
Milenkovic and Jacob Matlala, at Mafikeng University Great hall.
Durandt will be in Baloyi's corner while Gert Strydom will plot
the reigning champion's demise.
Strydom was successful in doing that in November 2006 when
Klassen dethroned Gary St Clair off the same belt at Emperors
Palace. At the time, Klassen was under the tutelage of trainer
Manny Fernandez. The latter opted to be in America with Isaac
Hlatswayo, who was defeated by Kendall Holt for the lesser
recognised WBO NABO junior welterweight title.
Klassen lost that belt five months later to Mzonke Fana, who was
in turn dethroned by Baloyi on April 12 last year. Fana had
previously defended against Julio Alvarez at James Motlatsi Hall
in Klerksdorp in 2007.
The Baloyi-Fana fight took place at the North West University
Sports Complex in Mafikeng. It was broadcast live on Blow by
Blow. The national broadcaster will do the same on April 18.
North West is reclaiming its respect as the powerhouse for super
fights. Sun City Superbowl was the Mecca of super fights 20
years ago.
WILLOW PARK EMERGENCY HOUSING DELIVERED AGAINST ALL ODDS
The prioritization of rural development and infrastructure
development as central pillars of the struggle against
unemployment, poverty and inequality were given practical
expression on Tuesday as residents of Willow Park outside
Zeerust in Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality received a R3, 1
million package to improve their quality of life.
As part of the package, North West MEC for Developmental Local
Government and Housing,Howard Yawa handed over fifty four (54)
houses to beneficiaries to fulfill the undertaking he had made
in January towards the handover of R2,6 million emergency
housing project by end march . The six (6) outstanding houses
are to be roofed on Wednesday and handed over to beneficiaries
on Thursday 2 April 2009.
“We need to commend Mosegedi and Associates (Pty) Ltd for
chasing the end March target for completion of the project.
Against all odds that included among others, unavailability of
skilled labourers and rainy weather condition over a period of
about a month, they strove for the realization of our
commitment. I am confident that in the next two days,
outstanding work on site would be 100% completed to the
satisfaction of all beneficiaries.” said MEC Yawa in
appreciation.
On the 14 January 2009, a national daily newspaper had published
an article titled Poor and Forgotten and emphasized that: “Its
election time. The air is thick with promises from politicians
who want your vote. All of them talk about “service delivery”
and a “better life for all. But often that is not what happens
in the real world…”
Celebrating the milestone, Yawa quoted the African writer and
poet Ben Okri's caution against pessimists as follows, "To
poison a nation, poison its stories. A demoralised nation tells
demoralised stories to itself. Beware of the storytellers who
are not fully conscious of the importance of their gifts, and
who are irresponsible in the application of their art: they
could unwittingly help along the psychic destruction of their
people."
“Had I not been crippled by illness and many years of
exploitation and abuse as a farmworker, I would have jumped sky
high. Government has provided me with a house that is mine.E re
nna wee (It is Mine)”said Tinyiko Moagi, a seventy one year
single mother of six children. Moagi is one of the beneficiaries
who received a 45 square meters four roomed low cost house.
The Executive Mayor for Ngaka Modiri Molema, Councillor Temba
Gwabeni also handed 11 impregnated cattle, i.e. a bull and ten
cows, 103 impregnated goats to the community. The livestock is
part of Seepaletoutou animal production programme package valued
at about R500 000 to enhance the quality of life of the
impoverished community.
Thirty cattle and over six hundred goats are expected to be
produced through artificial insemination of the animals over
three years for the benefit of the community .As part of the
programme, unemployed graduates were trained in Brazil to give
support in livestock artificial insemination for livestock
production.
STERN WARNING TO BENEFICIARIES RENTING OUT LOW COST HOUSES
Government will confiscate low cost houses that beneficiaries of
low cost housing programme are renting out while they themselves
continue to stay in shacks and in informal settlements, North
West MEC for Developmental Local Government and Housing, Howard
Yawa warned residents of Marikana outside Rustenburg on Friday.
Yawa was addressing residents at the handover of the Marikana
Emergency Housing and Rectification project. The Provincial
department spend over R22, 7 million towards reconstruction of
650 low cost houses in the mining settlement after a devastating
storm left 150 families homeless and 54 hospitalised in November
last year.
Though the completion of the project has brought relief to most
residents, desperation among some is emerging though the main
contractor is still on site for the next few weeks for minor
final finishing touches.
Maki Mbekwa (53), a single mother of eight children and a
grandchild summed it as follows: “Government went the extra mile
of extending the reconstruction of houses affected by the
disaster to rectification of all houses in our area. Our houses
are now reinforced and brighter. Those who are not happy are
ungrateful and have unrealistic expectations. They are
influenced by some of the sub-contractors for the project to
continue so that they should continue to be employed on the
project. Those with unrealistic expectations do not belong here
among us, the poorest of the poor .They should move to suburbs
and leave us in peace.”
According to Yawa, the emergency housing project provided 364
job opportunities for locals and empowerment opportunity for 23
emerging local contractors, 17 of whom were women contractors.
He said that the empowerment of emerging women contractors
expands on R506 million that his department had allocated for
empowerment of women contractors for the 2008/09 financial year.
“Though some of you endured harsh weather condition outside the
comfort of your homes during the reconstruction of your houses,
you trusted and believed in the ANC government to deliver on its
business unusual: all hands on deck to speed up change pledge.
Your participation in the reconstruction programme in the spirit
of Vukusenzele accelerated the pace of delivery.” Yawa told the
residents.
He also expressed appreciation to the Provincial, District and
Rustenburg Disaster Management Centres for co-ordination of
relief efforts and synergistic partnership of government
departments, the South African Council of Churches and the
Zinniaville Muslim Community during the disaster.
The MEC commented Toro ya Africa Consultants and the
professional teams for delivering the emergency housing and
rectification project within the shortest time possible. He said
that the urgency with which they executed the project
demonstrated that they have understood and embraced government's
pledge for business unusual: All hands on deck to speed up
change.
Yawa said that the pace of delivery of the project despite work
stoppages during the December builders break, festive season and
heavy rainfall that was experienced in the area in past two
months has renewed the Freedom Charter's pledge of houses,
security and comfort for the community.” |
