In an attempt to curb crime, the male community members of Mukula have come together and organized a fist-fighting contest that involves interested fighters from the different areas of Vhembe.

A visit to the site at Mukula village next to the Ngwedi River, where the fist fighting is happening on Saturday afternoons, showed that the small open ground was packed to capacity. Young and old men were busy encouraging the fighters with flutes and whistles. “This is a place where men of all ages, especially young ones, come and show their God-given talent in a governed way,” says Abraham “The General” Rabali, one of the organizers of the event.

Rabali, 39, a former champion of street fighting and also a professional boxer, says: “We started fist fighting in December, but we have decided to stage it every weekend, in order to give young fighters enough time for practice as we will have big fights on Good Friday, to be held at the Thohoyandou Stadium,” says Rabali.

Rabali, who is now a boxing trainer, says: “We are also grooming some boys whom we will take to professional boxing. We are also preparing ourselves for 2010, where we expect to attract tourists who would like to see our sport, which is part of our tradition,” says Rabali. He says he is happy about the attendance of the fist-fighting, which attracts more than 2 000 people every weekend. To avoid unnecessary casualities, no alcohol is allowed and only interested fighters are allowed to participate.

“We hardly experience serious injuries, except bleeding, as every fighter is allowed to raise his fist as a sign of surrender if he feels he has had enough,” says Rabali, while adding that arrangements are being made for emergency cars to be available on site, so that medical aid can be provided on the spot.

Although women are not allowed anywhere near the fight, they will be allowed to have a full view of the sport when it will be staged in the Thohoyandou Stadium during Good Friday.

Historically, it is believed that fist fighting started in the same area, Mukula, in the early 1920s, before it moved to other places like Tshifudi, near Gaba, where it is staged every festive season and over the Easter holidays.