In June 2010 we heard great news.
Mdantsane was finally to be recognized as the Boxing Mecca it is and a boxing museum was to be built in Mdantsane.
Mdantsane has produced some of the greatest world boxing champions over the last few decades. Names such as Vuyani Bungu, Nkosana Happyboy Mgxaji, Welcome Ncita and Nkosinathi Joyi are known to the world.
These boxers are recognized internationally as some of the greatest African boxers, that this continent has produced - but has Mdantsane, their home and place of origin been given the necessary recognition it deserves? Or is it still seen only as the township whose streets are roamed by gangs of gangsters.
Three years ago in her State of the City address on 10 June 2010, the Executive Mayor Zukisa Faku made a promise to upgrade the Mdantsane CBD (Central Business District) with various facilities, including the retail, entertainment, accommodation, sports and recreation sectors.
"As a mecca of boxing, Mdantsane will also be provided with a boxing museum. The plans and designs for these projects will be developed through the Technical Assistance Grant," she said.
The Executive Mayor explained further, that the City had received funding of R128-million from the National Treasury through the Neighbourhood Development Partnership Grant for these facilities in the township. Already, it was in negotiations regarding the grant for a R20-million allocation on the boxing museum project.
Also in 2010 the Buffalo City spokesperson, Samkelo Ngwenya confirmed the plans for the museum by saying: "The City is expecting to finalize the plans for the museum and the construction of the structure is anticipated to commence by the end of the 2010/11 financial year."
The National Treasury has approved funding of R20m for the museum as part of the Mdantsane Urban Renewal Project.
The location chosen for the construction of the museum at the time was the CBD - and of course this is logic. The CBD/ Hi-Way is were the heart of Mdantsane beats. The museum was supposed to collect, document and conserve boxing artefacts, such as pictures, old movies, videos, boxing gloves, clothes, magazines, documents and any other material relating not only to the Mdantsane township but to the overall history and boxing scene of the Eastern Cape.
A library and a lounge were also envisaged for the museum in 2010. Once the museum would be established it would be easy to organize exhibitions and to put together publications.
What is happening now to the plan of building a boxing museum? We were told it will come, people are just careful to do the proper planning. They don't want to make mistakes in the planning face!
Well, we have toured Mdantsane and spoken with many boxers, young and old, veterans and promising young talent in Mdantsane. The idea of a boxing museum firmly entrenched in the CBD of Mdantsane was welcomed by all of them without exception. In some cases even awaited eagerly.
The veterans loved the idea of having their home township recognized finally and the youngsters were excited because most of them carry the memories of the great olden day boxers like Vuyani Bungu, and Happyboy Mgxaji Nkosana in their hearts.
Still today many young boxers are greatly inspired by the lives of these men, have chosen them as their role models and would like to shape their careers like they did - if they just could.
We were further told that many of the old boxers and their fans are willing to donate items from their private collections to the planned boxing museum, because there they would be safeguarded.
It was also planned, that local active and former boxers would be involved during the implementation of the project, as part of the research and operational phases.
According to the Mdantsane Urban Renewal Programm the museum would bring economic opportunities for the local community by providing temporary and permanent jobs during the construction and operational phases, respectively and this in turn cold also help to cut the large alcohol and drug consumption of the young people living in the township.
But Mdantsane's boxers are still waiting.
Not only are they still waiting for the Boxing museum, whose construction has been delayed by more than a year now.
Young boxing talent faces many more challenges in their daily life in Mdantsane. When we were speaking to the boxers many agreed, that there are no proper gyms, the gyms are overcrowded and sometimes men and women train in the same place.
There are no facilities to shower after training and many places are not electrified. Often young boxers train in shacks.
They still encounter a similar situation like the once famous but now forgotten Mdantsane Bodybuilder Ernest Mtandeki. (Not entirely forgotten because we found him, check out our interviews with him on youtube). He told us he started his career in East London in a shack next to the post office where he worked.
But still whilst facing all those obstacles Mdantsane produces world class boxers.
Will Mdantsane get its boxing museum? And the next question is then - when?
A Boxing museum for Mdantsane seems to be one of the great initiatives, because just go on the Internet and search for images and information on Happyboy and all the others. Try it for yourself. Like everything else, that concerns Mdantsane you will find very little material. Boxing is no difference in this regards.
But the residents of Mdantsane have collected remarkable items over the years. The memories of the great Mdantsane boxers are in their hands.
And there is in deed a need to bring them under one roof and to safeguard them for future generations.
Mdantsane was finally to be recognized as the Boxing Mecca it is and a boxing museum was to be built in Mdantsane.
Mdantsane has produced some of the greatest world boxing champions over the last few decades. Names such as Vuyani Bungu, Nkosana Happyboy Mgxaji, Welcome Ncita and Nkosinathi Joyi are known to the world.
These boxers are recognized internationally as some of the greatest African boxers, that this continent has produced - but has Mdantsane, their home and place of origin been given the necessary recognition it deserves? Or is it still seen only as the township whose streets are roamed by gangs of gangsters.
 |
| HappyBoy - the most famous of all Mdantsane boxers(Image by the Sunday Times) |
Three years ago in her State of the City address on 10 June 2010, the Executive Mayor Zukisa Faku made a promise to upgrade the Mdantsane CBD (Central Business District) with various facilities, including the retail, entertainment, accommodation, sports and recreation sectors.
"As a mecca of boxing, Mdantsane will also be provided with a boxing museum. The plans and designs for these projects will be developed through the Technical Assistance Grant," she said.
The Executive Mayor explained further, that the City had received funding of R128-million from the National Treasury through the Neighbourhood Development Partnership Grant for these facilities in the township. Already, it was in negotiations regarding the grant for a R20-million allocation on the boxing museum project.
Also in 2010 the Buffalo City spokesperson, Samkelo Ngwenya confirmed the plans for the museum by saying: "The City is expecting to finalize the plans for the museum and the construction of the structure is anticipated to commence by the end of the 2010/11 financial year."
The National Treasury has approved funding of R20m for the museum as part of the Mdantsane Urban Renewal Project.
The location chosen for the construction of the museum at the time was the CBD - and of course this is logic. The CBD/ Hi-Way is were the heart of Mdantsane beats. The museum was supposed to collect, document and conserve boxing artefacts, such as pictures, old movies, videos, boxing gloves, clothes, magazines, documents and any other material relating not only to the Mdantsane township but to the overall history and boxing scene of the Eastern Cape.
A library and a lounge were also envisaged for the museum in 2010. Once the museum would be established it would be easy to organize exhibitions and to put together publications.
What is happening now to the plan of building a boxing museum? We were told it will come, people are just careful to do the proper planning. They don't want to make mistakes in the planning face!
Well, we have toured Mdantsane and spoken with many boxers, young and old, veterans and promising young talent in Mdantsane. The idea of a boxing museum firmly entrenched in the CBD of Mdantsane was welcomed by all of them without exception. In some cases even awaited eagerly.
The veterans loved the idea of having their home township recognized finally and the youngsters were excited because most of them carry the memories of the great olden day boxers like Vuyani Bungu, and Happyboy Mgxaji Nkosana in their hearts.
Still today many young boxers are greatly inspired by the lives of these men, have chosen them as their role models and would like to shape their careers like they did - if they just could.
We were further told that many of the old boxers and their fans are willing to donate items from their private collections to the planned boxing museum, because there they would be safeguarded.
It was also planned, that local active and former boxers would be involved during the implementation of the project, as part of the research and operational phases.
According to the Mdantsane Urban Renewal Programm the museum would bring economic opportunities for the local community by providing temporary and permanent jobs during the construction and operational phases, respectively and this in turn cold also help to cut the large alcohol and drug consumption of the young people living in the township.
But Mdantsane's boxers are still waiting.
Not only are they still waiting for the Boxing museum, whose construction has been delayed by more than a year now.
 |
| Mdantsane The Township of Boxers - The Lifes Of Many Old Boxers Have Never Been Discovered |
Young boxing talent faces many more challenges in their daily life in Mdantsane. When we were speaking to the boxers many agreed, that there are no proper gyms, the gyms are overcrowded and sometimes men and women train in the same place.
 |
| Boxers Old And Young Agree - Mdantsane Needs More And Better Facilities To Train Its Boxers |
There are no facilities to shower after training and many places are not electrified. Often young boxers train in shacks.
They still encounter a similar situation like the once famous but now forgotten Mdantsane Bodybuilder Ernest Mtandeki. (Not entirely forgotten because we found him, check out our interviews with him on youtube). He told us he started his career in East London in a shack next to the post office where he worked.
But still whilst facing all those obstacles Mdantsane produces world class boxers.
Will Mdantsane get its boxing museum? And the next question is then - when?
A Boxing museum for Mdantsane seems to be one of the great initiatives, because just go on the Internet and search for images and information on Happyboy and all the others. Try it for yourself. Like everything else, that concerns Mdantsane you will find very little material. Boxing is no difference in this regards.
But the residents of Mdantsane have collected remarkable items over the years. The memories of the great Mdantsane boxers are in their hands.
And there is in deed a need to bring them under one roof and to safeguard them for future generations.
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