ZAKHELE XABA
L ISHABALELE iphupho lomshayisibhakela u-Ilunga “Junior” Makabu waseDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) obefisa ukuwina isicoco se-World Boxing Council (WBC) ukuze avule ithuba lokuthi sibangwe abashayisibhakela base-Afrika.
UMakabu uhlulwe ngomngqimuzo womlalisa phansi ngomzuliswano wesithathu nguTony “Bomber” Bellew empini yebhande le-WBC e-Everton, e-England, ebibhekwe wumhlaba wonke ngeSonto ebusuku. Phezu kokuba uMakabu eqale kahle ngomzuliswano wokuqala wamvusa phansi uBellew kodwa kucime izibani ngowesithathu. UBellew umxine ngodalimede bezibhakela, okukhona esokunxele esihlale emhlathini, kwacima izibani kuMakabu obeqala ukuhlulwa ezimpini ezingu-20. Kudingeke ukuthi unompempe ayiqede impi.
UMakabu ubethembisile ukuthi uma ewina ibhande le-WBC uzolivikela kuThabiso “Rock” Mchunu waseNingizimu Afrika amehlula empini yokuhlunga ozolwela isicoco nyakenye. Nokho iphupho lakhe lishabalale kabuhlungu.
Ngemuva kokuthi uMakabu ehlule uMchunu, obengumqeqeshi wakhe uNick “Mthakathi” Durandt wathi ufuna ukuwina ibhande le-WBC nalo mshayisibhakela. Nokho bahlukane uMakabu eselungiselela ukubhekana noBellew. UDurandt wayesekhoneni likaThulani “Sugarboy” Malinga waKwaZulu-Natal ngesikhathi ewina ibhande le-WBC super middleweight eminyakeni edlule nokwakungelokuqala eNingizimu Afrika. Izolo uDurandt ugxeke uMakabu ngokugcwalisa ekhoneni lakhe abantu abangasazi isibhakela ekubeni elwa impi enkulu kunazo zonke empilweni yakhe.
“UMakabu ubeke abashayeli bamatekisi ekhoneni lakhe. Waziqokela kudala, ngingakasiyeki isibhakela, ukuthi uzojima phesheya kwezilwandle. Ukuba nabantu abangazi lutho ekhoneni kumenze wahlulwa. Uthathe umqeqeshi ahlangane naye emasontweni amabili adlule eManchester, wambeka ekhoneni. Izinga le-WBC lidinga abantu abalaziyo asebeke bafinyelela kulo,” kusho uDurandt.
“Abaphathi bakhe abebengayizwa kahle eyokuthi aqeqeshwe yimina, yibona abamlahlekisele ngethuba lokukhonya emhlabeni. UMakabu uyiqale kahle impi, ngomzuliswano wokuqala wenza okufanele. Ngowesibili ubuye esezitshela ukuthi kufanele adlalisane noBellew esikhundleni sokuthi alwele ukuyomqeda ngoba ubekade esekuthathile ukuzethemba kwakhe ngokumvusa phansi. Emuva kwalokhu angazi ukuthi uzoshonaphi. Ithuba elifana naleli ngeke aphinde alithole.”
Emuva kwempi uBellew uthe: “Ungiphule ikhala, ngikhuluma nje, lihlephukile. Kodwa nginebhande eliluhlaza elinokuyigolide. Uma kungathiwa susa ikhala lami ebusweni, mina ngithathe ibhande, ngingavuma.”