Cassius “Hit Man” Baloyi wants to impart his extensive boxing knowledge to youngsters who are keen to take up the sport, but says he does not have the financial muscle to start his own gym.
Baloyi, 51, is the only boxer from SA to have won six world titles in three weight divisions. The pugilist from Malamulele in Limpopo rents space at a shopping centre in Lombardy East, Johannesburg, where he trains private clients.
The general opinion in the boxing fraternity is that he made lots of money from boxing. But he says that perception is incorrectly influenced by the number of titles he won in a fruitful 18-year career, in which he chalked up 37 wins from 46 fights.
Baloyi fought big names including Phillip Ndou, Mzonke Fana (twice), Mbulelo Botile, Lehlohonolo Ledwaba (twice), Manuel Medina, Isaac Hlatshwayo, and Malcolm Klassen.
“I never fought for millions, you know,” he told Sowetan. ”The most money I took home was R400,000 after taxes and fees for trainers and managers.”
Baloyi said tax issues have complicated his life and that he owes the taxman almost R800,000.
He added that he was erroneously made to believe that Boxing SA paid taxes on his behalf because the regulator deducted a certain amount of money from his purse, which he believed was for his taxes.
“I once owed taxes, but Brian Mitchell [his former trainer] got me a tax consultant, and I paid close to R400,000, and I was up to date until Boxing SA came with its new rule that they will pay taxes for us,” he said.
“I submitted tax returns after my retirement, and they [the South African Revenue Service] told me I owed money.”
Baloyi’s biggest concern is that the amount he owes keeps increasing. “I don’t know what to do; I just need help.”
Former BSA acting CEO Cindy Nkomo clarified that the regulatory body was not an employer and did not pay boxers’ taxes. She said boxers and promoters were responsible for remaining tax compliant with Sars.
“BSA is the middleman whose duty is to make sure that the process of one paying the other is done professionally and accordingly,” Nkomo explained. “We are not an employer where you have an obligation to do certain things like taxes.
“The question is, what is the role of the regulatory body and also that of a manager to a boxer? Until such time that we are honest about ourselves and our roles, we will always put the blame at the door of BSA.”
Sowetan
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