There is a glimmer of hope that the SA bantamweight title inactivity might come to an end after Boxing SA revealed that approval has been granted for champion Landile Ngxeke.
The regulatory body’s sanctioning committee released approvals for the majority of divisions, including women, on Tuesday last week.
But the bantamweight division, which had been inactive for close to three years, was not among them.
Ngxeke wrested the title in anti-climactic circumstances when his opponent, Lusizo Manzana, dislocated his shoulder in the fourth round when the fight was evenly balanced.
However, owing to boxing rules stipulating that when a boxer suffers an injury during the bout, his opponent is awarded a technical knockout victory, Ngxeke was declared the champion.
He succeeds Ronald Malindi, who left the title vacant after his taxi-related death.
After undergoing surgery for the shoulder, Manzana again positioned himself for the title shot along with other contenders such as then top-rated Likho Sigaba and second-listed Akani Sambu.
Instead of forcing Ngxeke to defend the belt or vacate it, BSA allowed him to embark on an international campaign fighting three times against opponents from abroad.
Boxing regulations stipulate that a champion can only use his/her voluntary defence window to accommodate one international bout.
Ngxeke’s international campaign culminated in an IBF title shot which he lost to Mexican Jose Salas Reyes via a seventh-round stoppage in December.
BSA chief operations officer Mandla Ntlanganiso revealed that Sambu submitted an official challenge in April and the Ngxeke camp was informed.
“Akani Sambu lodged a challenge on April 22 2026 which was duly approved by BSA on the following day,” he said.
“The Ngxeke camp is fully aware of its obligations and has been communicated to.”
However, it is yet to be seen if Ngxeke will honour the challenge or will finally vacate for other contenders to contest the title.
Other approvals include the flyweight female title, with champion Tyla Promnic ordered to make a voluntary defence against Owethu Makhathala.
The light-heavyweight division, which experienced lengthy inactivity when Komani boxer Luvuyo Sizani was the only contender, has since been reignited with champion Bryan Thysse ordered to make a mandatory defence against top-ranked Tuvia Wewege.
Thysse finally breathed life into the division when he won the vacant belt with a ninth-round stoppage victory over Michael Head in October, snapping a six-year lull, before defending it against his cousin Gerhard Thysse in a fight of the year contender in March.
SA female junior-bantamweight champion Nosiacaswe Dube has been ordered to defend against Sazisiwe Simon; Nkosingiphile Sibisi must face mandatory challenger Njabulo Buthelezi while Asandiswa Nxokwana’s challenge against Nomusa Ngema is subject to a step-aside agreement from other contenders.
Daily Dispatch