▪ She has promised a raft of measures to bring back sanity in this popular sport in Africa
▪ “Outstanding boxers’ prize money must be paid and boxing. governance structures will be strengthened,” says the new boss of African boxing
Eswatini’s Pearl Dlamini has landed running, becoming the first ever woman to head Africa boxing.
“The train has now left the station, I’m on the move, and today (May 30) we will have our first meeting to discuss our strategies because there’s a lot to be done,” said Dlamini.
“We welcome divergent views and criticism to help us improve. I’m ready for the battle but work must be done,” said a confident Dlamini who is not new to boxing leadership having been the first ever female president of Eswatini Boxing Association from 2011-2020.
“Outstanding boxers prize money in Maputo 2022 and Kinshasa 2024 must be paid, governance structures will be improved to ensure stability in Africa boxing is restored.”
Dlamini has been appointed the Chairperson of the Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC) Normalisation Committee by IBA’s Board of Directors.
She takes over from Ethiopia’s businessman Eyassu Berhanu who has been relieved of his duties including his entire Board of Directors owing to ineptitude on managing African boxing.
The Ethiopian was elected unopposed as the AFBC President in Addis Ababa in November, 2023, taking over from deposed Cameroonian Bertrand Mendouga who was removed through a vote of no confidence by the Board of Directors in August, 2023, during the Africa Championships in Yaounde. He was accused of high handedness, arrogance and financial impropriety.
This is the composition of the AFBC Normalisation Committee
1. Ms Pearl Dlamini (IBA Director) – Chairperson
2. Mr Abdulmutalim Abakarov (IBA Vice President) – Vice Chairperson
3. Mr Chris Roberts OBE (IBA Secretary General & CEO)
4. Mr Dian Gomes (IBA Director)
5. Mr Gabriel Xavier Da Barca Junior (President of Mozambique Boxing Federation)
6. Mr Moses Muhangi (President of Uganda Boxing Federation)
7. Mr David Pina (ex-Chairman of the AFBC Ethics Committee)
8. Vacant position (awaiting candidate proposal from AFBC President’s office)
It’s another fresh start in continental boxing with high hopes of changing the lethargic and unprofessional manner in which the sport has been managed.
IBA’s Secretary-General and CEO Chris Roberts announced the composition of the Normalisation Committee in a letter dated May 29, 2025, and copied to IBA Board of Directors, IBA staff and National Federations in Africa.
The letter read in part: “As you are aware, there has been significant instability within the AFBC, creating an urgent need for
intervention. In its responsibility to restore lawful governance and stability to the Confederation, the IBA
has established the Normalisation Committee to address and resolve these issues.
“The Committee’s
key mandate is to ensure compliance with both the IBA and AFBC Constitutions, facilitate the
organisation of new, legitimate elections, and to restore effective governance within the AFBC. The Regulations on AFBC Normalisation Committee (NC) for AFBC have been established by the IBA
to guide the work of the Normalisation Committee.
“These regulations are binding on all AFBC officials,
AFBC National Federations, and associated members. It is essential that all parties comply with these
regulations to ensure the smooth and effective restoration of stability and governance. As we further move forward with this work, there will be some opportunity for subject matter expertise.”
The IBA CEO will also create a Subject Matter Expertise (SME) working group of professionals called “Passion for African Boxing” to assist him in the monumental task of improving Africa’s boxing landscape and clear a pile of garbage left behind by the two deposed regimes.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) sent home Eyassu’s team and established the Normalisation Committee following deep divisions that undermined the unity and credibility of African boxing.
“In October 2024, numerous AFBC National Federations raised serious concerns about lack of transparency and governance failures under the current AFBC leadership,” said IBA’s statement explaining why they have created the NC.
The IBA statement went on: “These National Federations formally requested immediate intervention including fresh elections to rectify those concerns.”
In the wake of dissatisfaction expressed by the National Federations, things came to a head when a big rift erupted in AFBC with DR Congo’s combative federation president Ferdinand Luyoyo leading a group that passed a vote of no confidence in Eyassu’s leadership. Luyoyo was declared by his team as the acting AFBC president.
While IBA disowned the Luyoyo team, they extended an olive branch by inviting them to a reconciliation meeting with the IBA-recognised Eyassu group early this year in Dubai in what was seen as a last ditch effort by the international body to unite the two warring factions.
The Dubai meeting, however, ended in disarray with no unity achieved, forcing the IBA to crack the whip by dissolving Eyassu’s executive committee.
In a show of defiance, Eyassu’s team has rejected the formation of the Normalisation Committee describing IBA’s decision as discriminatory on the African body.
“We’re unaware of the IBA removing the entire continental board in other continents but it has happened in Africa,” they said in a letter to the IBA, citing financial favouritism and fostering divisions.
“Should the IBA proceed by imposing an illegitimate NC that strips away our rights we will seek legal redress at the Court of Arbitration for Sports or any other relevant judicial bodies,” they threatened.
In establishing the NC, the IBA Board of Directors invoked Article 14.5 of the Constitution. The deposed AFBC board has however not quoted which clause of the Constitution has been violated by the IBA in creating the NC.
As expected, IBA’s decision to establish the NC has been received with mixed feelings with the Luyoyo team supporting its creation while other critical boxing stakeholders are not convinced the NC will bring any meaningful change to the beleagured African boxing body.
Brickbats aside, the appointment of Pearl Dlamini has been hailed as a step in the right direction by most African boxers and followers of the sport who were fed up with the toxic wrangles in African boxing.
In addition to serving the Eswatini Boxing Association from 2011-2020, Dlamini is currently an IBA board member as well as a board member of Eswatini NOC, the IOC Accredited Sports Administration Lecturer and Accredited Region 5 Women in Sports Leadership Facilitator.
All this shows how strong she is on governance matters.
Careerwise, the elegant Dlamini is fully employed by Eswatini Revenue Service as their Director for Projects Office. She is also a Director for Sunika Solutions, a consultancy firm on Transformation Methodologies and Systems.
