Boxing coach and legend dies
“He made sure that boxing stayed alive in the area. Even during financial challenges he never gave up.”
KwaThema – Geo Maroon Boxing Club legend Temba Zulu died after a long illness on Wednesday.
Zulu started boxing as an amateur boxer in 1991 and become a professional boxer in 1993.
In 2001 he was appointed as the head coach for the boxing club producing professional boxers like Mxolisi Nombewu who was crowned as the IBO champion and female boxer Smangele Radebe who is the SA Bantamweight champion in 2017.
Boxer Smangele says as the boxing fraternity we have lost a father, coach and community builder.
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“We used to go to him when we needed advice for the challenges we go through both personally and in the sports.
“He has been sick for a long time especially this year but he made sure that we had boxing matches to fight and he attended all of them.
Smangele says Zulu had started mentoring young boxers to grow the club.
“I am grateful for the opportunity I have been given to be coached and mentored by him since 2014.
“I am an SA Bantam champion today because of him,” she says.
President of the local sports confederation, Innocent Mayoyo, says the death of Zulu is not only for his family a great loss but for the community and the development of sports too.
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“He made sure that boxing stayed alive in the area. Even during financial challenges he never gave up.
“We are hoping whoever is going to fill his boots will have the same passion as him in helping to develop young fighters,” he says.
Mayoyo remembers the last moments he spent with Zulu saying he had recently bought new training equipment for the team.
“He was very happy saying he will be able to absorb more young fighters.
“His legacy will live on and he will be remembered among other fallen community builders,” he says.
Ward 77 Clr Johannes “Teacher” Sibeko says Zulu was not only a boxing manager but also a boxer himself.
“He cared about the wellbeing and safety of young people and made sure that they were taken off the streets and kept busy through sports.
“He has produced champions and also introduced me to the world of boxing four years ago.
“I am now a boxing referee and judge because of him,” he says.
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