Owayengumpetha womhlaba wesibhakela ophinde abe nesithandwa sezemidlalo yaseNingizimu Afrika uDingaan “Rose of Soweto” Thobela utholwe eshonile efulethini lakhe eGoli ngemuva kokuxinwa wukugula. Ngokubika kweSOWATAN, lo mshayisibhakela odumile waseChiawelo, eSoweto, utholwe eshonile efulethini lakhe eMayfair, eGoli, ngoMsombuluko kusihlwa.
UThobela owazalwa uDingaan Bongane Thobela eminyakeni engu-57 edlule, ubengaphilile kahle. Umngani wakhe esemncane, u-Eddie Mutungutungu, ukuqinisekisile ukuthi lowo owayengumpetha womhlaba utholakale eshonile ngemuva kwemizamo eminingi yokumthinta. “Ubengatholakali kumakhalekhukhwini wakhe, kanti umndeni wakhe, ephelezelwa amaphoyisa, ukwazile ukungena lapho ehlala khona bathola ukuthi useshonile,” kusho uMutungutu.
Impilo yakhe engeyinhle imenze wangakwazi ukuya engqungqutheleni yeBoxing SA emahhovisi e-Arena Holdings eParktown ngoLwesihlanu olwedlule. UThobela ubambe izicoco ezintathu zomhlaba, eze-WBO ne-WBA lightweight esigabeni se-lightweight ekuqaleni komsebenzi wakhe owawuqhakazile ngaphansi komqeqeshi umakadebona uNorman Hl;abane.
NgoSepthemba 2000, i-“Rose of SOWETO” yagcina iqhakazile njengoba uThobela enqoba ibhande le-WBC super middleweight ehlula umpetha ovikelayo uGlen Catley emzuliswaneni ka-12 eCarnival City eBrakpan. Umqeqeshi u-Elias Tshabalala ubesekhoneni lakhe. UThobela wayehlukene nonkosikazi wakhe uSandra. Babenezingane ezimbili ndawonye, uNtombi noDingaan Thobela Junior.
UThobela ukujabulele ukwesekwa yi-SA ngale kwemibalabala njengoba ukunqoba kwakhe ngaphandle kwaseNingizimu Afrika kume isiminyaminya, kube nemigubho engalawuleki emalokishini. Emasontweni amabili edlule, uJoseph Makaringe – owayengumpetha we-SA welterweight – udlule emhlabeni ngemuva kokugula isikhashana.
