MASVINGO- World Boxing Council Silver welterweight champion Charles Manyuchi was last week in keeping with the Shona adage Ziva Kwawakabva (Don’t forget those who played a role in your life).

The soft spoken boxer, who has conquered the World was on a whirlwind tour of Masvingo, the town where his flamboyant career started.
One man who played a pivotal role in his life more than any other could be Regency Group of Hotels proprietor Edison Zvobgo (Junior. He looked after Manyuchi (27) when he was a nonentity and supported him with accommodation, food and facilities for training. Manyuchis stayed at one of Zvobgo’s hotels for four years without paying a cent.
And he had a gift that is pregnant with meaning as far as the Shona culture goes. He bought Zvobgo a suit, a present reserve for a father or father-in-law in the Shona culture.
Manyuchi also known as the Busy Bee was on a whirlwind tour ofMasvingo where he started his professional boxing career under the guidance of Zvobgo in 2009 before he joined his current promoters Oriental of Zambia in 2012.
“I have not made much from boxing and there is not much that I can do for Zvobgo as a person who nurtured me to be who I am today.
“My fortunes have changed due to the assistance I got from this man and I would like to thank him from deep down my heart.
“If it was possible to share my life with him I could have done so. On top of that I would like to invite Zvobgo at his convenient time to Harare to come and chose a suit of his choice and his favourite beer, since they are the things that I can afford at this point in time,” said the soft spoken world champion.
He told the gathering that Zvobgo is a special person in his life together with Clement Masawi aka Mr T35as they have sponsored him without a contract and not demanding anything in return like other promoters would do.
“Unlike Zvobgo and Mr T35 other promoters would ask for a piece of the cake before they promote you, these two people are rare and unique as they have never taken anything from me despite the help they have rendered to me for all these years,” said Busy Bee.
He also paid tribute to the people of Masvingo and Council for the support and the residential stand that he was offered by the late Mayor F..Chakabuda.
The Council was represented by director of housing Levison Nzvura while Kudakwashe Dzoro represented the people of Masvingo.
“I would like to pay tribute to Mr T35 and other advisers from your base for advising you to pay homage to your roots and specifically Zvobgo who contributed immensely to your career although sometime he would face resistance from his managers here at Chevron for your four year stay Zvobgo did not listen to the complaints and continued to look after you as son against their wish, I would like to commend them because they are good advisors,” said Dzoro.
With tears down his cheeks Busy Bee narrated how Zvobgo transformed his life from a sugarcane labourer to the second best boxer in his category in the world.
“I was living like a King here despite that I was never related to Zvobgo and that gave me the impetus to work extra hard in the ring because I was afraid of being chucked out of the hotel anytime,” he added.
Zvobgo in turn thanked Busy Bee for being an obedient son since the time of the Youth Games when the former was the manager for Team Masvingo in 2001.
“I started with him at the Youth Games where he collected three gold medals consecutively, and later I invited him to come and stay with other boxers at the hotel.
Others did not last because of indiscipline Manyuchi lasted because he was disciplined, for that I am grateful because a world champion has passed through my hands,” said Zvogbo.