Former three-time boxing champion and legendary pugilist, Dingaan Thobela did not die a pauper, as is widely speculated by gossip mongers. The Rose of Soweto, as Thobela was popularly known during his heydays locally and internationally in the boxing ring, died at the age of 57 on Monday.
HE WAS NOT WELL
His old friend and experienced boxing writer, Bongani Magasela, told Radio 2000 sports host, Thabiso Mosia, that Thobela was feeling under the weather when he called him last week Thursday. Magasela said, "I spoke to Dingaan on Thursday, he said he had flu. It sounded bad. I told him to stay in bed. I called on Saturday and Sunday and his phone was off. I got worried and asked someone to go look for him. That's when they found his body on Monday." Magasela added.
HE DID NOT DIE PENNILESS
His friends are also saddened and disappointed about speculation that Thobela, who was a businessman and once owned a funeral parlour named The Rose, died penniless. They said it's all a lie. "As sad as this is, I'm also disappointed by the narrative that Thobela was a pauper. People are making assumptions because he was found in a flat. That's one of his many flats. Dingaan was fine. He even had a farm. He sold his house in Sandton after his divorce," said Magasela. During his time as a boxing champion, Thobela was a man-about-town. At some point he dated former Miss South Africa, Basetsana Kumalo (née Makgalemela), who is now married to businessman, Romeo Kumalo. After retirement, Thobela worked part-time with his former mentor and trainer Norman Hlabane in discovering new boxing talent at the Hands of Stone Boxing Academy gym in Central Western Jabavu, Soweto.
Thobela was named after the Zulu King Dingaan (Dingane) who took power after taking part in the murder of his half-brother, King Shaka in the 1800s. Thobela, who met Hlabane in 1983 when the young boxer and student teacher from the then Soweto College of Education took boxing as a professional career. The duo enjoyed a father-son relationship. Thobela was focused on doing different businesses and he bought a plot in Zuurbekom with plans of building a boxing gym there.
WBA WINNER
Apart from working with Hlabane, Thobela worked closely with Namibian boxing promoters. One of the protégés he worked closely with was Jeremiah Nakathila.
Thobela, from Chiawelo, Soweto, was born on 24 September 1966 and defended his world title belt a couple of times, until WBA lightweight title holder, American Tony 'The Tiger' Lopez, beat him in a controversial match in the US. But he got his revenge against Lopez at the Sun City Resort during a match billed Judgement Day on 26 June 1993. Thobela won the bout on points on home soil. His wish, which he never fulfilled until his demise on Monday, was to fight against former world champion Brian Mitchell. He even joked about it after his retirement that he was prepared to fight Mitchell in an exhibition match.
