Ubani ikhehla? Ubeyimpumelelo owokubungaza uTap Tap



UXimba uyintatheli yezemidlalo nezobuciko.
Uma ehleli phansi esihlalweni kulula ukuzibonela ikhehla. Izinwele nentshebe empunga zisidweba zisiqede isithombe sokuthi isiphelile inkani kuleli xhegu. Kodwa kuthe leli xhegu lingangena eringini ngaphambi kwempi enkulu yomqhudelwano wosuku eShowe ngempelasonto, limangaze abaningi ngokunyakazisa okwebhungu. Lingene lagxumagxuma wena owabona uMuhammed Ali etayela, lafuna ukuntanta iringi ebisigcwele izicukuthwane, libe likhipha ngesibhakela sesinxele sengathi lihlokoloza umuntu selilungiselela ukugadla ngamavelemane. Kuchwaze ihholo abantu sebebona ukuthi habeee!! kanti umkhulu u-Elijah “Tap Tap” Makhathini lona. Ewu, kanti unkabi lo usakwazi ukusikaza nokunyakaza! Kucacile ukuthi uMakhathini uvukwe usinga, kwavuka ezamzukwana ngesikhathi engena eringini eseyoqeda ngabantu.
Cishe iningi legenge esencane ebihambele loya mqhudelwano igoduke isikufundile okuncane ngalo Tap Tap ekhule ibeleselwa ngaye abazali nezihlobo ngezimanga ayezigila eringini. Lo mqhudelwano, wokubungaza uMakhathini ubuhanjelwe nayiSikhulu Esiphezulu seBoxing South Africa (BSA) uTsholofelo Lejaka kanti bekunabakwaSABC abazoveza lezi zimpi seziqoshiwe namhlanje seligamenxe eleshumi kusihlwa. Ihholo lomphakathi iNkume eMaqeleni beligcwele phama kungekho nendawo yokubeka unyawo. Kucacile ukuthi abantu bendawo basilambele isibhakela sezinga eliphezulu kanti nabafana bendawo abanjengoSibonelo Nzimande abaphoxanga. Bakusebenzisile ukuthi balwa ekhaya njengoba bebesekwa izihlobo nabangani, nabo bashaya esinenkosi phakathi. UMakhathini bekuthi akandize ngemuva komqhudelwano, wabonga uxhaso loMnyango Wezemidlalo KwaZulu-Natal, abakwa-Aloe Lifestyle Hotel nabakwa-Orange Groove. “Kuyangithokozisa ukuthi abantu bakithi abangikhohliwe. Yize ngingeke ngikwazi ukuzibambela mathupa kodwa ukusondezwa eduze kwentsha efuna ukuncela ulwazi yinto engizoyenza noma inini,” kusho le nkakha esineminyaka yobudala engama-79.
Osomankomane asebebadala bavamise ukungabi sesimweni esikahle sempilo nangokomqondo kwazise izibhakela ziyadakana kodwa umfo kaXulu usazimele kahle njengoba enamabhizinisi awaqala esashaya isibhakela. Unesitolo nebottle store oHabeni khona eShowe. Yize ayeka ukulwa ngowe-1980 enqobe izimpi ezingama-47, wehlulwe kali-13 walwa kabili ngokulingana kodwa usakwazi nokukhumbula izimpi ezamenza undabuzekwayo. Uthi empini yakhe noCharlie Weir yangowe-1979 eKingsmead Stadium, eThekwini, wayenziwa imvu yomhlatshelo kuyo kodwa wafika wabhekisa phezulu amatafula. “UCharles wayezanyelwe ukulwa nomuntu waphesheya kodwa ngebhadi lowo muntu walimala esazilungiselela.
Manje ngoba abahleli bempi basebezikhandle kakhulu ukudayisa impi namathikithi esethengwe ubuthaphuthaphu, abafunanga ukudinsila phansi yonke into. Imeneja yami yangitshela ukuthi kunempi esiqhamuke isigubhukane ngavele ngayithatha ngokungananazi kwazise ngangihlale ngiwumqemane ngingahambeli kude nejimu. Okwangicasula ukuthi bathi bazongikhokhela izi-R10 000 okwakuyimali eyayinkulu kowoHlanga ngaleso sikhathi. Kodwa lo mfo waphesheya yena wayezonikwa izi-R40 000. Ngaya eringini nginelukuluku eliyisimanga ngafika ngamlahla phansi uCharles ngomzuliswano wesithathu,” kukhumbula uMakhathini emamatheka. Usuke lapho wavala imilomo ababemngabaza ngokuxebula uJan Kies, waba umpetha kazwelonke kuMiddleweight eRand Stadium eGoli ngowe-1976. UMakhathini uthi kwaba ingqophamlando ukunqoba kwakhe kwazise aboHlanga babesanda kuqaqwa emaketangeni okungalwi nabamhlophe. Uthi impi yakhe noDaniel Mapanya eKings Park, eThekwini, ngowe-1980 nayo ngeke ayikhohlwe.
“UMapanya kwakuthiwa nguye ozothatha indawo yami kuMiddleweight kwazise izingqapheli zamankomane zazicabanga ukuthi sengiphelelwe ushatini. Okwangicasula ukuthi wayengakaze angishaye kodwa kwase kukhulunywe kakhulu. Ingakho ngaba nofuqufuqu lokumfundisa isifundo. Ngavele ngamdida umqondo ingakaqali impi. Ngaphambi kokungena eringini ngafika nebutho elaligqoke amabheshu lihuba. Phela njengensizwa yomZulu kwakumele ngimkhombise ukuthi angisabi lutho. Nebala ngamthela othulini ngomzuliswano wesikhombisa wangabe esavuka.” Mayelana nezinga lesibhakela samanje, uMakhathini uthi kumele osomankomane abangama-amesha banakekelwe bangajahwa ukufakwa esigabeni sabakhokhelwayo.
Ethinta eyokubonakala kosomankomane ababelwela izigidi zemali kepha asebedla imbuya ngothi njengamanje, uthe indaba iqala emuva ekhaya lapho kumele umuntu afundiswe ngenhlonipho nomthetho wokulandela impilo. Yize aqala engumfana owayelusa izinkomo, ithalente lakhe limwelise ngelibanzi njengoba enomndeni osimeme. Uganwe amakhosikazi amabili kanti izingane zakhe ezili-18 uthi ziziphilela kahle. Umfo kaMakhathini uhlonishwe nge-Order of Ikhamanga yesiliva enikwa owayenguMengemali wezwe uThabo Mbheki ngowezi-2004. Emuva kweminyaka emithathu igama lakhe lifakwe kuSA Sports Hall of Fame kwathi iBSA yamklomelisa ngeLifetime Achievement Award ngowezi-2018.