Steven Nditwaini emerged as the champion of  King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana traditional boxing/musangwe tournament, which was held at  a packed Nandoni Gardens last Friday.

He beat a fighter known as Cinah in the final bout.

The president of musangwe, Mr Tshilidzi Poison Ndevana, has vowed that the sport is here to stay, saying no one will stop them from practising what he terms Venda culture. "Bare-knuckle fighting has been part of our lives since the 18^th century and we are not prepared to trade it for anything,” he said.

Ndevana said there was more to musangwe than met the eye. “This is a sport that teaches respect among men. Boys are prepared for their future roles here and we are also ensuring that the sport and our culture do not fade away,” he added.

According to the spokesperson of King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana, Chief Livhuwani Matsila, the cultural event was planned to showcase the cultural diversity of Vhembe. During events like these, the traditional leaders celebrate the uniqueness of their culture, he added. He also mentioned in an interview that the royal council was committed to preserving the Venda culture "and they felt bound to support the tournament, as musangwe forms part of the Venda culture."