One of the most respected and feared bare-knuckle fighters in the country, Mbulungeni Solomon "Dice" Ndou, was laid to rest at the Vondwe Cemetery on Sunday morning (24 April). Big guns from the Vhembe Traditional Boxing Entertainment (Musangwe), including its motormouth general secretary, Mr Fhatuwani Nethononda, were in attendance.
Speaking during the funeral proceedings, family spokesperson Mr Nkhetheni Ndou said the late bare-knuckle champion was the only fighter to have beaten an opponent to death in the ring since the sport was formally recognised as one of the Vhavenda Traditional Sporting Codes in 1936.
"When he was young, he used to hit tree trunks with his bare hands until the blood ran when he was angry. Elders like Mr Matambele taught him about Musangwe, to be able to face other strong fighters instead of hitting tree trunks. He is also the only bare-knuckle fighter we know who knocked an opponent out cold in the ring," he said.
The acting president of the Vhembe Traditional Boxing Entertainment, Mr Musevheni Chabane, better known in traditional Musangwe circles as 10 Years, said he was honoured to have been chosen by the great former champion himself to bid him farewell when he died. "He told us as an organisation when he was still alive that, if he passed on, I must be the one to represent the organisation at his funeral, and I feel very honoured for that. We will always remember Dice as one of the pioneers of Musangwe," he said.
"Dice" Ndou was born at Vondwe village at Tshifulane section in 1949. He is survived by his wife and six children.