One of the top priorities of the interim Boxing and Wrestling Control Board which was appointed last month is helping with input for Parliament to amend the outdated Boxing and Wrestling Control Act of 1980.
This law still prevents women from competing in professional boxing.
The interim board is chaired by Armas Shivute, with Anita Tjombe the vice chairperson. Other members include Ronald Kurtz, Patrick Esterhuizen and Naftal Natanael. They replace the previous board led by Magreth Mengo, with Jason Naule, Sebastian Shituleni, Veruschka De La Harpe and Irene Shebo as members, whose three-year term recently ended.
For years, the lack of progress on legal reforms has left women sidelined from professional boxing.
Speaking on the matter, vice chairperson Tjombe revealed that the board had received the green light from the ministry’s executive director to address the issue.
“Thanks to the executive director who has given us the opportunity and the green light to tackle that issue. That is a pressing matter of course, and for the next three months, our core focus will be on amending the Act to ensure women or the girl-child can compete in professional boxing,” she said.
“This issue lies close to my heart. I’m the first female promoter in the country, and I fully understand how important it is to get the Act amended,” she added.
This is not the first time there has been an attempt to change the law to allow women to compete professionally. In 2011, then deputy minister of sport Pohamba Shifeta acknowledged the need to amend or repeal the Act to include provisions for women’s boxing, recognising its discriminatory nature.
Also, in 2014, the Namibia Boxing Federation (NBF) amended its constitution to align with the International Boxing Association (AIBA), allowing the introduction of female boxers at the amateur level. Plans were also made to establish a Namibia Women’s Boxing Federation to support the development of women’s boxing. However, these plans did not reach fruition.
In 2020, a new committee was appointed, and during that time, Dr Bernard Haufiku, who was the chairperson then, prioritised the amendment or repeal of the outdated law, citing its discriminatory stance against women. However, progress was derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2021, when Mengo became the first female chairperson of the board, she and the former minister of sport Agnes Tjongarero emphasised the urgency of revising the 1980 Act. Despite these intentions, no stakeholder meetings were convened to discuss the new legislation as of 2023.
Politician Utaara Mootu criticised the continued use of colonial-era laws that perpetuated gender inequality in sports. She urged the Namibia Boxing and Wrestling Control Board to implement a new law to ensure equal opportunities for women in boxing.
mkambukwe@nepc.com.na