Dingaan Thobela laid to rest

SOWETO - Former and current sports stars, administrators, family and friends said their final goodbyes to South African boxing legend, Dingaan Thobela.

Thobela, “The Rose of Soweto”, died last Monday following an illness.

His funeral service was held in Soweto and he was laid to rest at West Park Cemetery on Thursday.

Thobela held three world championship belts in two divisions.

He held the WBO lightweight title from 1990 to 1992, the WBA lightweight title in 1993, and the WBC super-middleweight title which he won in 2000.

The boxing fraternity gave Thobela a befitting send-off on Thursday morning.

His former trainer, Norman Hlabane was at the funeral alongside former boxers Jan Bergman, Ditau Molefyane, Brian Mitchell, Nika Khumalo and Isaac Hlatshwayo.