Tuli House

Jake Tuli (born Jacob Ntuli) (1929 – 1998) was a South African professional fly, bantam and featherweight boxer. He was a British Empire flyweight titleholder making him the first black South African to hold an Empire championship title (The Presidency 2003:17). He also held the Transvaal (‘Non-White’) flyweight title, South African (‘Non White’) bantamweight title, South African (‘Non White’) flyweight title and he was a challenger for the British Empire bantamweight title against Peter Keenan. Keenan recalls, ''Jake Tuli was quite simply the toughest guy I ever met in a boxing ring - tougher than his fellow South African Willie Toweel who beat me for the world title in 1952. Tougher even than Edinburgh's Eddie Carson who I refused to box again, just as I would never have entertained Tuli again, even though I stopped him eventually in the fourteenth round of our Cathkin battle” (HeraldScotland 1998: Jake Tuli). According to Keenan, “Jake was a wee gentleman outside the ropes, and I loved the guy'' (ibid). For Nelson Mandela, himself a boxer, Tuli was simply “our greatest hero” and “He was the most eloquent example of what African boxers could achieve if given the opportunity.” (Mandela 1995:228). In 1953 Tuli assisted Trevor Huddleston with fundraising for the Orlando Swimming Pool. According to Bob Gosani, 200 pounds were raised at the “Tuli exhibition” (52). Tuli was posthumously awarded the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver.

The house where he lived is still owned by the family of Jake Tuli – a surviving daughter and son are still resident in Noordgesig – who would like to establish a museum here. The family owns a unique collection of memorabilia associated with Jake.

After winning the Empire Flyweight boxing championship the Transvaal Association for Non-European (non-white) Professional Boxing wanted to host a welcoming reception for Tuli at City Hall. While the city approved the request despite strong opposition from the Nationalist Party – as the City Hall was a ‘whites only’ venue, Police eventually cancelled the event on the grounds of security concerns. The proposed Blue Plaque will go a long way in finally giving official city recognition to the impressive life and career of Jake Tuli.