Durban – The mother of a Dundee boxer who claimed bronze at the Commonwealth Games said she was over the moon about her daughter’s achievement.
On Tuesday, Phiwokuhle Mnguni received a hero’s welcome in her home town and her mother, Lindokuhle Nyembe, said there were no words to describe how elated she was.
“I just can’t describe it.”
Mnguni is the first South African woman boxer to stand on the podium at the games and she is also a descendant of Struggle stalwart Dorothy Nyembe.
Nyembe said that the Struggle stalwart was her grandmother and she was proud of her daughter, who raised the South African flag high to the world and also shone the spotlight on her as the person who birthed Phiwokuhle.
“I didn’t know that one day things would get to this level, but with the grace of God, I thank you all very much,” she said.
Nyembe said that her daughter grew up boxing even though she was afraid for her.
“I’d look at her beauty and tell her they would beat her up, but she persisted and she’s been all over Botswana, Cape Town. All these places I have never been to, she’s boarding planes going to England somewhere I have not been. I’m grateful that she is taken care of in the community.”
Mnguni district municipality Umzinyathi had a motorcade set up for Mnguni’s welcome and hosted her for dinner.
Mayor Alderman Petros Ngubane encouraged coach Nathi Hlatshwayo to keep up the good work after another of his boxers from the Eastern Cape also clinched bronze.
“You represented us well in the world. Stay morally grounded and grow, stay away from substances and spread this spirit to other youngsters as well.”
Daily News