Lubhalwe nguLinda Ximba
Emzamweni wokukhiqiza ompetha bakusasa bakuleli nasemhlabeni, inkakha yesibhakela yakuleli u-Elijah “Tap Tap” Makhathini, uzosingatha umqhudelwano wesibhakela esikhokhelwayo eShowe, KwaZulu-Natal, ngoMgqibelo.
Lo mdlali oneminyaka engu-80 ungomunye wabashayisibhakela abambalwa base-KZN abazuza lukhulu ngesikhathi sobandlululo.
Isicoco sakhe sokuqala sakuleli kwaba yibhande le-SA middleweight “non-white” alinqoba ngesikhathi abashayisibhakela abamnyama nabamhlophe bengavunyelwe ukuqhudelana bodwa.
Uqhubekile nokunqoba isicoco sakuleli ngemuva kokuvunyelwa kwezimpi phakathi kwabashayisibhakela abamnyama nabamhlophe, ngokuhlula uJan Kies ngo-1976, kodwa wahlulwa uDoug Lumely ngonyaka olandelayo.
UMakhathini uhlabane ngendondo ye-Ikhamanga (yesiliva) futhi wakhethwa kwi-SA Sports Hall of Fame.
Utshele i-Scrolla.Africa ukuthi into ehamba phambili ngempi yesicoco sase-KZN lightweight asinamuntu. USandile “Spikili” Dumisa noMahlangu bazobambana imizuliswano eyishumi.
“Ngiqhatha abashayisibhakela bakuleli engikholwa ukuthi banekusasa eliqhakazile. Ngikholwa ukuthi ngelinye ilanga bazoba ngompetha bakazwelonke nompetha bomhlaba.”
Uthe liningi ithalente e-KZN elidinga iso elibanzi.
“Ngokwenza lolu hlobo lwemiqhudelwano sibanika ithuba lokukhombisa amathalente abo,” kusho uMakhathini.
Okunye okuveziwe kulo mqhudelwano impi yabesifazane ephakathi kukaSeluleko Zulu noBernice Ferreira, abazodlalela isigaba se-lightweight imizuliswano emine.
Abanye abazobhekana kubalwa: UNkosingiphile Sibisi ozobhekana noTamiwa Chisolola kwi-junior bantamweight imizuliswano eyisithupha, uSiyanda Gumede uzobhekana noSihle Shange kwi-bantamweight imizuliswano emine, uSizwe Biyela ozobhekana noNkosinathi Sibiya kwi-junior bantam imizuliswano emine, uLindelani Sibiya uzobhekana noZwelakhe Nhlapo ku-featherweight imizuliswano eyisithupha, uNtando Mdletshe uzobhekana noPieter De Klerk kwi-junior middleweight imizuliswano emine, uMxolisi Zuma uzobhekana noSkhumbuzo Ximba kwi-junior featherweight imizuliswano eyisithupha, uSeluleko Zulu uzobhekana ne-Bernice Ferreira kwi-lightweight imizuliswano emine.
Isithombe esingenhla: UTap Tap’ Makhathini
Umthombo wesithombe: Sithunyelwe