In what could be an unprecedented move, a high-ranking Boxing South Africa (BSA) official ordered the removal of a ring announcer during a tournament in Cape Town on Friday night.
Acting CEO Erick Sithole, who is also a BSA board member, insisted Dev Currer was not licensed and therefore not allowed to be in the ring, promoter Savva Savvas told TimesLIVE on Saturday morning.
Currer, who is facing disciplinary action from BSA, was switched out shortly before the card-topping national featherweight title bout between champion Zolisa Batyi and Abdul-Aziz Kunert, which ended in a draw.
“I must be the first person to be suspended just before the main event,” quipped Currer, saying he had neither been suspended nor been informed that he had lost his licence.
Just last month BSA summoned Currer to a disciplinary hearing in Pretoria, serving him a letter that began: “You, Mr Devon Currer, licensed by Boxing South Africa as a ring announcer, are hereby charged with misconduct ...”
Boxing SA boss removes 'unlicensed' ring announcer during tournament
In what could be an unprecedented move, a high-ranking Boxing South Africa (BSA) official ordered the removal of a ring announcer during a tournament in Cape Town on Friday night.
Acting CEO Erick Sithole, who is also a BSA board member, insisted Dev Currer was not licensed and therefore not allowed to be in the ring, promoter Savva Savvas told TimesLIVE on Saturday morning.
Currer, who is facing disciplinary action from BSA, was switched out shortly before the card-topping national featherweight title bout between champion Zolisa Batyi and Abdul-Aziz Kunert, which ended in a draw.
“I must be the first person to be suspended just before the main event,” quipped Currer, saying he had neither been suspended nor been informed that he had lost his licence.
Just last month BSA summoned Currer to a disciplinary hearing in Pretoria, serving him a letter that began: “You, Mr Devon Currer, licensed by Boxing South Africa as a ring announcer, are hereby charged with misconduct ...”
Currer said he had also worked a show in Johannesburg on May 6, which fell into the current annual licensing period, and that he had even shared the ring with Sithole without incident.
Currer’s looming disciplinary hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, is based on a comment or comments he allegedly made on FaceBook about BSA’s boxing awards, though the regulator has not specified which comments were deemed offensive.
Currer said Sithole had arrived late for the tournament on Friday night and had appeared animated when speaking to the promoter and provincial manager, Mzoli Tempi.
Tempi declined to comment. “I do not respond to the media. I’m going to write a report to BSA, as required. Everything will be in there.”
Currer said he had also noticed Sithole glaring at him at one stage. “I stared back at him.”
The ring announcer doubted Friday’s antics had anything to do with him not attending a first phase of training and assessments for licensees held by BSA because he knew of others who had also not attended and had not had their licences revoked.
Currer believed he was being targeted. “It’s an abuse of power and it’s cost me my job. I’m going to explore my options.”
Sithole did not respond to questions sent to him on WhatsApp, but the story will be updated should he do so.
His action is viewed by some observers as being consistent with what they allege to be BSA’s strong-arm tactics against critical licensees.
The BSA board has been accused of meddling in operational matters and contravening the sport’s regulations, yet has chosen not to respond to these allegations, apart from claiming that a white supremacist cabal was acting against them.
One legal view is that BSA, as a regulator, has no more right to revoke licences for critical comments by licensees than a traffic department would have to strip complaining drivers of their licences.
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