NHLANHLA SITHOLE
U Mdlalo wesibhakela KwaZulu-Natal ugutshuzelwe yifu elimnyama ngokuwa kwensika ekuthuthukisweni kwalo mdlalo emazingeni aphansi, uDingindawo “Dingaan” Edward Mahlasela (74), odlule emhlabeni ngoLwesibili ekuseni esibhedlela iChief Albert Luthuli lapho kade elashwa khona.
UMahlasela wazalelwa elokishini laseHarrismith, elalaziwa ngeForty Second Township, ngoDisemba 16, 1938. Wafika eThekwini eneminyaka ewu-18 ngo-1956. Uthando lwakhe lwesibhakela aluzange luphelele emoyeni njengoba wakhiqiza amabhokisa amaningi okubalwa kuwo u-Irvin “Prettyboy” Buhlalu, owake waba ngumpetha esisindweni se-Lightweight, Sbusiso “Appollo” Biyela, naye owaphatha isicoco saseKZN, Moruti Mthalane ongumpetha womhlaba kwi-International Boxing Federation (IBF), Innocent Mthalane naye owake waba ngumpetha waseNingizimu Afrika noKwanele Zulu, obengumpetha wama-All Africa Games. Omunye umshayi wesibhakela ophuma ezandleni zikaMahlasela nguThabiso Mchunu.
Ebhonga emswaneni ohambe noMahlasela kule ndima, u-Arthur Nxumalo, obewusihlalo wesibhakela eKZN uthe: “Umahlasela ubewumgogodla wesibhakela eThekwini. Ngaphandle kwesibhakela emazingeni aphansi ngeke sibe khona esikhokhelayo. Ngakho uMahlasela ukuqonda kahle ukuthi kubalulekile ukuthuthukisa isibhakale phansi, yingakho nje ebegxile khona. Akekho ongazi ukuthi uMahlasela ubekhiqiza amabhokisa akhaliphe ngendlela exakile. Impela silahlekelwe.”
“Umkhulu (njengoba bebembiza kanjalo uMahlasela) ubeyikhona konke okudingwa wumshayisibhakela osathuthukiswa. Bekuthi noma unenkinga ekhaya abazali bengayizwa eyokuthi udlale isibhakela yena ubekwazi ukukhuluma nomzali ambonise kahle aze agcine evumile ukuthi ingane iqhubeke nesibhakela. Ubengagcini nje ngokuthi akwakhe esibhakeli kodwa ubebuye akululeke ukuthi impilo kumele uyithathe kanjani. Bekungakuhle ukuba ihholo lomphakathi waseChesterville liqanjwe kabusha ngaye ukutshengisa iqhaza lakhe ekuthuthukiseni lo mdlalo kuleli lokishi,” kubalisa u-Appollo Biyela.
UBiyela uthe uMahlasela ubengeyena umuntu ozinake isiqu sakhe. Uhlule abantu abaningi ebebefuna ukuthi ashintshe igama le-Chesterville Boxing Club ayibize nge-Dingaan Mahlasela Boxing Club.
“Ubevele abatshele into eyodwa ukuthi i-boxing club akuyona eyakhe kodwa ngeyomphakathi ebe azi kahle ukuthi umphakathi ubungamsizi ngalutho kodwa esebenzisa imali yakhe.”
Ngokunjalo noBuhlalu uhambe emagameni kaBiyela wathi ubengumuntu obebaseduze kwebhokisa sonke isikhathi uma lilungeselela impi. “Ngesikhathi ngenza amalungiselelo emidlalo ehlungela eyama-Olympic ayese-Atlanta ngo-1996, engagcina ngiqokelwe eqenjini lesizwe elalizoya khona, wayelokhu enami kusukela ngisalwa esifundazweni ngaze ngafinyelela kuzwelonke. Ngempela kufanele kube nemizamo eyenziwayo yokuqinisekisa ukuthi umlando wakhe awushabalali eChesterville,” kusho uBuhlalu obezwaka ngisho ocingweni ukuthi ufe olwembiza.
UMahlasela wagcina ngokuqokelwa ekuqeqesheni iqembu lesizwe elaliyodlala emidlalweni yama-Olympic, e-Athens, eGreece, ngo-2004.
Ngokusho kwendodana yakhe, uTshepo, nayo engumqeqeshi wesibhakela weqembu lesizwe, kuzokuba nenkonzo yesikhumbuzo sakhe ehholo lomphakathi eChestervill namuhla ezoqala ngo-5 ntambma.
“Ubaba uzongcwatshwa ngoMgqibeko emathuneni kuWiggins Road (Ezinkawini) ngemuva kwenkonzo ezoqala ngo-9 ekuseni, eSheshi, eSt Barnarbas ekuRoad 14. Ngenxa yokuthi ngeke zibe khona izinkulumo ngosuku lomngcwabo wakhe ngokwemigomo yebandla sibone kungcono ukuthi kube nenkonzo yesikhumbuzo ukuze sinikeze ithuba abantu asebenze nabo kwezamankomane.”