MPs in Fana's corner

Mzonke Fana, who was stripped of his International Boxing Federation title last month, has taken his fight to parliament.

MPs asked the Department of Sport to meet Fana's manager, Mava Malan, promoter Branco Milenkovic and Boxing South Africa on the issue.

The 37-year-old super-featherweight from Cape Town was stripped of the title when he failed to meet challenger Argenis Mendez of the US for a mandatory defence on June 11.

Mendez beat Cassius Baloyi in January in an elimination bout to challenge Fana, who won the vacant title when he beat Baloyi in September last year.

Fana's former manager, Butityi Konki, told MPs the boxer had asked for R800000 to fight Mendez, but Milenkovic offered R375000.

Milenkovic said the SABC refused to televise the June 11 fight and that without a sponsor, he could not afford Fana's demands.

The chairman of Boxing SA, Peter Ngatane, said the organisation was trying to arrange for Fana to regain the title.

The parliamentary committee on sport also asked the Department of Sport to help Baloyi with an unpaid tax bill of R400000.