U-Elijah ‘Tap-Tap’ Makhathini

U-Elijah Makhathini wazalwa ngomhlaka 3 Okthoba 1942, eShowe, KwaZulu Natal. Uvela emndenini ozithobile futhi ongafundile kangako, uMakhathini waqala ukusebenza esemncane ukufaka isandla enhlalakahleni yomndeni. Ngesikhathi lapho kunamathuba ambalwa okuthola ezemidlalo nokungcebeleka kwabantu abamnyama, uMakhathini uthathe isibhakela ejimini yasendaweni ukuzigcina esesimweni esifanelekile. Ngokushesha, okuyisivinini sokuba eringini kwamenza waba umhlanganyeli owaziwayo futhi othandwayo emidlalweni yesibhakela sezimfunda makhwela.

U-Elijah noma u-‘Tap Tap ’njengoba wayaziwa kakhulu ngabalandeli bakhe besibhakela wazalelwa eShowe. Uqale ukusebenza esemncane kakhulu ukufaka isandla enhlalakahleni yomndeni wakhe. Wangenela isibhakela lapho ayembalwa amathuba okuthola ezemidlalo nokungcebeleka kwabantu abaMnyama.

Amaqhinga nokushesha kukaMakhathini eringini kwamenza waba yingxenye edumile emidlalweni yesibhakela esiyizimfundamakhwela. UMakhathini ujoyine isikhundla somsebenzi eneminyaka engu-29 esekhulile ngaphansi kokuqondiswa ngu-Chin Govender, owaba yimenenja nomqeqeshi impilo yakhe yonke.

Empini yakhe yokuqala ngo-1971 washaya uPhuthuma Kuboni emzuliswaneni wokuqala. Ngawo lowo nyaka washaya abanye abaningi okubalwa kubo u-Abram Sibeko, uWilfred Dlamini, uMaxwell Malinga, uJohn Fighter ukubala abambalwa. Ngo-1972, wawina isicoco seNatal middleweight ngesikhathi ekhipha uJoseph Sishi. Ushaye owayengumpetha we-SA middleweight uGordon Goba waphinde wengeza ukunqoba ngomzuliswano wesikhombisa behlula umpetha kazwelonke we-middleweight uSydney Hoho empini eyayingacoco. Impumelelo yakhe iqhubekile njengoba eshaye owayengumpetha womhlaba we-welterweight u-Curtis Cokes ngamaphuzu.

U-‘Tap Tap ’akazange ahlulwe ngo-1978 wawina uKies, Maxwell Malinga, Moledi, Howard Mills (England), Bonifacio Avila (Columbia) no-American Tommy Howard. Uthathe umhlalaphansi esibhakeleni esikhokhelwayo ngo-1980, esengumpetha waseNingizimu Afrika osabambe iqhaza esigabeni se-Super Middleweight enerekhodi lokunqoba okungu-46, ukuhlulwa okungu-13, ukudlalwa oku-1 kanye nokuwina okungu-21 ebangeni.

Uthole i-Order of Ikhamanga in Silver ngeqhaza lakhe elihle nangempumelelo yakhe kwi-South African Boxing Afrika ebhekene nezingqinamba zobandlululo.

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