Ihambile iNkunzi, akube khona othatha umkhonto kumankomane
Ukuhamba kukaMagudulela kuvule isikhala esikhulu emdlalweni wezamankomane okuyothatha isikhathi eside ukusivala
Kukhalwa kwaXhosa naKwaZulu.
Lawa ngamazwi aphinyiswe uLoyiso Mtya osebenze isikhathi eside nobesondelene kakhulu nezinkakha zesibhakela uMzimase Mnguni noThulani “Nkunzi” Magudulela abadlule emhlabeni ngokulandelana ngenxa yokugula.
UMnguni noMagudulela badlule emhlabeni sebekwenze konke esibhakeleni nangaphandle kweringi. UMagudulela kuvele ukuthi ubenokhuvethe kanti ubengekho muhle kusukela kulokhu kuhlela izimpi abekade ezihlelile. Baqale bengabaqeqeshi banyukela ekubeni ophromotha kanti emaceleni bebe namabhizinisi futhi bengabamnumzane bemizi.
UMnguni wabeka i-Eastern Cape neNingizimu Afrika ebalazweni lomhlaba ngokukhiqiza umpetha wokuqala we-International Boxing Federation. Wayesekhoneni likaWelcome “Hawk” Ncita ngesikhathi emangaza umhlaba ebuya nesicoco sesisindo seJunior Featherweight ehlula ngamaphuzu uFabrice Benichou ngonyaka we-1990.
Lokhuya kunqoba kwaba ingqophamlando kwazise kwenzeka ngesikhathi sobandlululo, aboHlanga becindezelekile. Umfo kaMnguni usuke lapho wahola ngempumelelo uVuyani “The Beast” Bungu ekuqopheni irekhodi lokuvikela amahlandla ali-13 ibhande le-IBF. Baningi nabanye ompetha bomhlaba abaphume esandleni sakhe ayebacija e-Eyethu Boxing Gym. Phakathi kwabo kungabalwa uMasibulele “Hawk” Makepula, uMbulelo “Slayer” Botile, uZolile “Bonecrush” Mbityi, uLindi Memani nabanye.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uMagudulela uncele ulwazi olunzulu ngalo mdlalo kuMnguni. Wayemsebenzela njengematchmaker ezimpini ezazihlelwa uMbali “Showtime” Zantsi eThekwini. Ngemuva kwesikhashana wangena emkhakheni wokuqhatha kwathi umsebenzi wokuqeqesha wawedlulisela endodaneni yakhe uZwilenkosiyaphila Magudulela.
UMagudulela ufike wafana no “Mesiya” esifundazwemi iKwaZulu-Natal kwazise kwase kuphele isikhathi eside eleNdlovukazi uMthaniya lagcina ukuqhosha ngokuba nompetha. Kwaba ngenxa yokuzikhandla kwakhe ukuthi kukhiqizeke uChristopher Buthelezi owayeyingqwele esigabeni seMiddleweight. Kuvele noWiseman “Sabalutho” Dlomo ofike wakhonya esisindweni sosondonzima.
UMtya wayesasebenza ngaphansi kwenhlangano ephethe ezamankomane kuleli iBoxing South Africa (BSA) ngesikhathi uMagudulela edlondlobala emkhakheni wokuqhatha. Ubuchule nokuzikhandla kukaMagudulela kwenza waqokwa njengomqhathi ovelele ngonyaka wezi-2010.
“Kwaba ngenxa yokukhipha ompetha abanjengoChristopher noWiseman okwenza wadla umhlanganiso emkhakheni womqhathi ovelele. Wayenesiphiwo sokukwazi ukuhlanganisa abantu nesisoka. Wasebenza kanzima ukuthola uxhaso eMnyangweni Wezemidlalo esebenza nabantu abanjengoGodfrey Vusi Sangweni okwenza zaba inala izimpi KwaZulu-Natal,” kukhumbula uMtya.
Eqhuba uthe angeke akhohlwe ngesikhathi iWorld Boxing Council (WBC) yaseMexico imgunyaza ukuqhatha impi yokuhlungela isicoco seCruiserweight phakathi kukaThabiso “The Rock” Mchunu no-Ilunga “Junior” Makabu.
Le mpi eyadonsa izindimbane zabalandeli yabanjelwa e-International Convention Centre eThekwini ngowezi-2015. Akekho uphromotha waKwaZulu-Natal oseke waqhatha impi yeWBC.
UMtya uthe: “Akuyona into elula ukwethenjwa inhlangano enkulu njengeWBC. Indlela eyenza ngayo izinto yehlukile, ayizwani nogcobho nokungahleleki. Nami ngayifaka incwadi yesigxivizo ukuthi kumfanele uThulani ukugunyazwa ayiqhathe leya mpi. Nebala akaphoxanga njengoba konke kwahamba kahle, yaba nesasasa. Ingakho yaba impi yonyaka ngenxa yezigigaba zayo.”
Ngisho noMoruti Mthalane oyingqwele ye-IBF Flyweight wasizwa uMagudulela emtakula esefana nomgodi onganukwa ngisho nayingcanga. UMagudulela wakwazi ukumhlelela izimpi ezintathu ze-IBO uMthalane.
UMtya uphonsele inselelo abaqhathi abasaphila KwaZulu-Natal ukuba babhukule, basike iphethini kuMagudulela ukugcina umgqigqo wokuqhatha nokukhiqiza ompetha. “Ophromotha baKwaZulu-Natal ngibona bebhekene nenkulu ingcindezi ngoba kumele balwe ngempela ukuvala isikhala sikaMagudulela. Ngiyanxusa ukuthi impela kwabakufunde kuyena (uMagudulela) bakwenze,” kusho uMtya obezwakala edumele.
UMagudulela nguye owahambisa uSiboniso “Tiger” Gonya eNorth Ireland ngonyaka wezi-2017 eyolwa nomkhaya wakhe uZolani Tete kweyebhande leWBO World.
Udlula emhlabeni nje ubehlele izimpi ebezizoba kwaNongoma lapho edabuka khona. Impi ebizoba ngenkulu eka-Ayanda “Nyamazane” Mthembu no-Ibram Tamba odabuka eTanzania bebezobanga ibhande leWBF Middleweight.
ElaboHlanga liphinde laxhumana neMeneja yezamankomane KwaZulu-Natal uMike Dube naye obhonge emswaneni wathi: “Izindaba zikaMagudulela zingephule kakhulu umoya. Uwile umuthi omkhulu, ophromotha abasakhula nabakhona manje kumele bazibambe ziqine. Indodana yakhe uZwilenkosi kumele uma sekwedlule konke ithathe ekuncelile kuyise ikusebenzise, ingabe isakhala kakhulu.”
Uthe waqala ukuhlala noMagudulela ngonyaka wezi-2000 eDurban Casino lapho okwabe kunempi eyayiphakathi kukaMthokozisi Mntungwa noWilliam Hare. Uthe owayesakaza leyo mpi uJoseph Makaringe wathi: “Kuqeqeshwa kanjani ngempela KwaZulu-Natal?’ esho embhobhweni.
Lokho kwamthinta kakhulu uMagudulela ilapho ahlela umhlangano ophuthumayo nabaqeqeshi okunguJoseph Gumede noBongani Shezi, ekhala ngokushiwo uMakaringe kusukela lapho akabange esabheka emumva enza isiqiniseko sokuthi osomankomane bakulesi sifundazwe bayahlonishwa.