EBA TENSIONS ESCALATE TO INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

MBABANE – Disputes surrounding the Eswatini Boxing Association (EBA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on November 17, 2024, have escalated to the international level.

That day witnessed the former executive hold its second AGM in four years. According to constitutional provisions, an AGM is required annually. After their election in 2020, the executive conducted its first assembly on April 3, 2022. No AGMs were held in 2021 and 2023. President Webster Lukhele, who served in the same role during the previous term, attributed the 2021 absence to the COVID-19 pandemic and explained that they needed to sort out data required by the Eswatini Sports and Recreation Council (ESRC) in 2023.

The 2024 AGM, however, proved to be one of the longest in the country, lasting nearly eight hours. Tempers flared, as numerous historical issues were raised. International Boxing Association (IBA) observer and South African National Boxing Organisation (SANABO) President, Siyabulela Mkwalo, who was often involved in attempting to resolve tensions, was not spared from criticism. Speaking as a concerned neighbour, Mkwalo observed that many of the issues discussed were historical in nature. He acknowledged that they had been archived but noted that, with the AGM finally taking place, everyone sought to voice out their concerns.

Pressing issues on the day included the eligibility of clubs to participate in the meeting. Three clubs – Matsapha, Big Bend and Malkerns Boxing Clubs – were deemed to have not renewed their membership. Among the 14 clubs considered compliant, four were allegedly never formally admitted.This matter was debated for approximately two hours before the assembly agreed to allow non-renewing clubs to participate. Representatives from these clubs explained that they had not renewed their membership due to receiving a membership application form despite already being members of the federation.

The EBA, however, clarified that they had no other means of collecting data about their affiliates, a process conducted in consultation with the sports council. The legitimacy of the 2022 AGM was also questioned, with claims of a lack of quorum. Two versions of the minutes from that AGM further fuelled the arguments, with discrepancies regarding admissions and quorum. One version was recorded by the then Secretary General (SG), Thabsile Mngometulu, who resigned a month later. These minutes were used to amend those provided by the executive. Mngometulu’s minutes were allegedly submitted to the ESRC before her resignation. The minutes used during the AGM were taken by Nkosinathi Dlamini, who was co-opted into the role.

The executive explained that Dlamini had served as the deputy to the SG before her resignation and had also taken minutes in 2022, which they preferred to utilise. Additionally, the financial reports for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons were rejected, with the new executive tasked with reviewing them and setting a new date for discussion. Another contentious issue involved the suspension of Mngometulu for misconduct. The assembly was sharply divided, with some viewing it as an unfair trial, while the executive cited a fair process in which the accused allegedly failed to cooperate with the disciplinary committee. A vote was held to decide whether she should have been allowed to stand for elections, which she lost by seven to nine votes.

Questions were also raised about the legitimacy of the constitution and whether decisions were made in accordance with it. Further drama ensued surrounding the vetting of election nominations, with some candidates expressing dissatisfaction over their disqualifications. To cap off the day’s events, Matsapha Boxing Club Chairman, Sihlongonyane, withdrew from the elections, declaring them neither free nor fair, and subsequently boycotted them. Sihlongonyane, who was vying for the presidency against incumbent Webster Lukhele, had sought the IBA’s assistance regarding pressing matters concerning procedural irregularities within the EBA on October 10.

“Our current executive board (former board) is enforcing an unprocedural vetting process, seemingly aimed at disqualifying certain candidates from participating in the forthcoming executive board elections. This process began with the alteration of AGM minutes, misrepresenting that four clubs were admitted by the general assembly, contrary to actual events,” he wrote. In response to the concerns raised before the elections, the IBA indicated that a final decision on these issues and possible intervention would be made after the EBA’s electoral congress.

However, Matsapha Boxing Club has expressed its dissatisfaction with the elective assembly. It has lodged a formal complaint with the IBA’s International Boxing Independent Integrity Unit (BIIU), a disciplinary body that hears and sanctions cases of alleged rule violations. This formal complaint was submitted seven days after the elections. “This email formally challenges the legitimacy of the November 17, 2024 EBA elections. Attached are specifics detailing numerous constitutional violations, including a flawed 2022 AGM, falsified minutes, and biased conduct. Supporting documentation is also attached, and urgent action is requested,” it reads.

EBA President Lukhele could not be reached for comment, while SG Dlamini referred the matter to him. It is worth noting that after winning the elections, Lukhele stated that the issues raised during the AGM would be urgently addressed. He emphasised the need for collective effort and contributions from everyone involved in the boxing code.
 

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