Linda Ximba
Ngenkathi amabhande esibhakela ayigugu ka-Innocent “Tycoon” Mantengu etshontshwa yizigilamkhuba e-Johannesburg Park Station ngoLwesihlanu olwedlule, wayengalindelanga ukuthi kube nguye ofakwa ejele.
Kodwa umpetha obusayo we-WBA Pan African junior featherweight ugcine esehlale izinsuku ezimbili esitokisini sasejele esikhundleni sezigebengu.
Ngemuva kokubanjwa inkunzi, uMantengu wakhungatheka ngokwehluleka kwamaphoyisa ukubopha izigilamkhuba ngakho-ke wazifuna yena izigilamkhuba.
Ngesikhathi elunywa indlebe, wahlanganisa abangani bakhe baya kubasolwa okwagcina sekuqubuka impi.
Abangani bakaMantengu kuthiwa bahlasele abasolwa, abagcine bebalekele esiteshini samaphoyisa bavulela lo mpetha wesibhakela icala lokuhlasela nabangani bakhe.
UMantengu nabangani bakhe ababili baboshwa bagcinwa esitokisini kusukela ngoLwesithathu ebusuku kwaze kwaba uLwesihlanu ebusuku.
Umeluleki kaMantengu, uThulani “Dr 3 Seconds” Nkwanyana, ukhokhele yena ibheyili kanye nabangani bakhe waphinde wazwakalisa ukuphoxeka kwakhe kulo mshayisibhakela ngokuzithathela umthetho ezandleni.
“Umfana ubengaziphethe kahle futhi isenzo sakhe singadicilela phansi isithunzi sakhe. Ngisebenze kanzima ukuthola izimpi ezinkulu ngaphansi kwe-J4Joy Foundations. Ngiyethemba ukuthi usifundile isifundo,” kusho uNkwanyana.
Kodwa-ke, umqeqeshi osemnkantshubomvu akazange azwelane nabaphangi: “Kumele kuqashelwe ukuthi la bantu basebenza kanzima futhi kwesinye isikhathi bopha igazi eringini ukuze bathole ibhande, ngakho-ke kuyadabukisa ukuthi kunabantu abangantshontsha ibhande.”
Unxuse izigebengu ukuthi zibuyisele amabhande kumnikazi wawo ngoba ngeke zikwazi ukuwadayisa.
UMantengu akayena umshayisibhakela wokuqala wakuleli ukuntshontshelwa ibhande lakhe lomklomelo. Ngowezi-1950, umpetha womhlaba wonke waseNingizimu Afrika uVic Toweel, webelwa ibhande lakhe ngesikhathi kugqekezwa emzini wakhe.