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Dingaan ‘The Rose of Soweto’ Thobela : A Champion Fighter Who Captured The Hearts And Souls Of The Nation

Dingaan Bongane Thobela was born in Soweto on September 24, 1966 as Bongani Mahlangu but was renamed Dingaan by his paternal grandmother when he was a toddler. Soweto, township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city’s mining belt in the south.

Thobela was widely popular in his home country as his rise coincided with South African boxing’s heyday in the 1980s and 1990s. He was one of several world-class Black fighters to emerge during the last years of apartheid, when boxing was one of the few South African sports to allow Black athletes to compete on the world stage and gain international recognition.

Read Also: Hage Geingob and The Namibia’s Anti-apartheid Struggle

Nevertheless, beyond his prowess in the ring, Dingaan Thobela was a symbol of unity and pride for South Africa. He brought communities together, bridging divides with his electrifying performances and unwavering commitment to his craft.

Thobela’s achievements as a boxer and personal life

As an amateur, he won 80 fights and lost only 3. In 1986 he became a professional boxer. This means that he was paid for boxing. He was very successful. He won 28 matches and had 1 draw before his first loss as a professional.

In the same way, during his career, Thobela competed in many different weight classes. As a young boxer, he fought in the super featherweight division (also called junior lightweight), for boxers weighing 130 pounds (59 kilograms) or less. At the end of his career, he fought in the cruiserweight division, for boxers weighing 200 pounds (90.7 kilograms) or less. He did best at weight classes between those extremes.

But, in 2000, he rose to the WBC super-middleweight championship. Thobela participated in 56 fights throughout his impressive career, winning 40, including 26 by knockout. He also faced 14 losses and had two draws.

Thobela retired from boxing in 2006 but is still involved in the sport, although coaching and grooming youngsters is not for him. Though, he was separated from his common-law wife Sandra. They had two children together, Ntombi and Dingaan Thobela Junior.

The South African boxing legend recently died after a prolonged illness in April, 2024. He was 57.

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