Once again, boxing hogged the headlines for all the wrong reasons when it emerged that world champion Siyakholwa Kuse has yet to get the house and the funds he was promised after winning the WBC mini-flyweight title in May.
Kuse made history by becoming the first boxer in the province to win the coveted WBC belt, which is considered the most prestigious piece of silverware in boxing.
He beat Filipino Melvin Jerusalem in their rematch in Kempton Park, having failed in their previous clash in Manila in October 2025.
The feat was incredible, especially as Kuse overcame several challenges, including kicking drug addiction, which at one stage threatened to derail his career.
It was a true Cinderella story which needed to be celebrated in all spheres of life, and the Buffalo City municipality leapt on the bandwagon during the boxer’s welcoming home party.
Despite his monumental global achievement, Kuse’s family still live in a shack in Mdantsane despite a gesture from BCMM, which undertook to present him with a house by August, while also offering him a R100,000 cheque.
But concerns have mounted that this could have been a publicity stunt, as months have come and gone with no sight of the house or the funds.
It took boxing fan Andile Siko to raise the alarm, leading to verbal jabs between him and BCMM mayor Princess Faku, who defended the delay amid accusations of political grandstanding.
BCMM belatedly issued a statement clarifying the delay, while recommitting itself to fulfilling the promise.
The metro attributed the delay to legislative processes, but could not clarify if they also affected the release of the funds.
Those who have followed unfulfilled promises by BCMM were not surprised by the turn of events, especially from the mayor.
From the promise of the return of the Ironman triathlon to promising the return of the Border Rugby Union to the BCM stadium, the list is long.
But boxing has been the hardest hit as it is often used for publicity gimmicks while boxers desperately need help to overcome the many social challenges.
The sport is used by scores of children from poverty-stricken backgrounds to get a better life and any broken promise only adds to their misery.
While the house handover might encounter legislative stumbling blocks, those who made the August promise should have known about that before committing.
But the funds should have been transferred to Kuse’s bank account a long time ago.
And BCMM should have used its communications department to update the process and not wait until someone raised a flag on social media.
Daily Dispatch