Former World boxing champion and holder of three welterweight titles, Charles Manyuchi bedded and impregnated a young married woman he trained at his gym resulting in a High Court order for him to pay US$18 000 in damages.
Justice Zisengwe, sitting at the High Court in Masvingo granted the damages in a default judgement made in favour of Tapiwa Munyaka last Tuesday.
Munyaka, a regional manager with a micro finance bank in Masvingo discovered the adulterous affair when he went through his wife’s Chengeto Viola Munyaka nee Dimingo’s phone in 2021. He bumped into pictures and images of the sexual escapades of the two.
Munyaka said he lost his self-esteem because of the relationship and was also exposed to sexually transmitted diseases including HIV because his wife and Manyuchi did not use condoms.
The stinging boxer’s gym operated from Flamboyant, a Regency Group hotel in Masvingo and Munyaka’s seven-year-old marriage has since broken down irrevocably, according to court documents.
Ironically, Munyaka was supportive of his wife’s involvement at the gym to the extent of even taking her there. He even allowed Viola to become one of the advertising persons for Manyuchi’s forthcoming boxing matches and she, together with a team of Manyuchi supporters would visit various holiday resorts including Kariba to celebrate the boxer’s victory.
“The defendant’s reckless conduct exposed me to the HIV virus and other sexually transmitted diseases. The fact that he impregnated my wife is clear evidence that he was not having safe sex with my wife. The pregnancy exposed me to the danger of looking after children sired by third parties… My self-esteem is now low. I am seriously hurt by defendant’s conduct,” reads part of Munyaka’s application.
Manyuchi is the former World Boxing Federation (WBF), Global Boxing Union, World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver welterweight and World Alliance Boxing Association (WABA) champion.
The adultery damages are the highest ever given by the High Court in Masvingo.
Manyuchi received a letter of demand in November 2022 but did not respond which led to an application for the default judgment.
Munyaka said Chengeto fell pregnant with Manyuchi and had an abortion. Munyaka paid lobola for Chengeto in 2015 and they solemnized their marriage in 2019. They have two children together.
He said Manyuchi recorded his sexual escapades with Chengeto and the affair was known by his workmates and this affected his reputation and self-esteem.
Munyaka sought US$50 000 damages; US$30 000 for consortium (the impact an injury has on the relationship, companionship and support lost) and US$20 000 for contumelia (insulting language of treatment). However, the Judge awarded Munyaka US$8 000 for consortium and US$10 000 for contumelia.
Munyaka said what hurt him most is that he went to Manyuchi’s training group together with his wife. That is where the former world champion took advantage and bedded his wife.
The affair allegedly began when the couple joined Manyuchi’s training group in 2021. Munyaka said Manyuchi selected Chengeto to participate in advertisements and promotions for his match against Ugandan Mohamed Sebyala.
Munyaka is represented by Charles Ndlovu of Ndlovu and Hwacha Legal Practitioners.
“In September 2021 he also invited my wife to join his team which was going to Kariba where he was going to celebrate his victorious match… He also invited her to various holiday spots claiming that she was good at promoting his sponsors’ products. I didn’t complain because I thought my wife was good at advertising the sponsors’ products,” said Munyaka.
He only knew of the affair towards the end of 2021.
Munyaka wrote a letter of demand to Manyuchi in 2022 and Manyuchi didn’t respond or make any efforts to apologise suggesting that he is not concerned with the outcome of the matter.
Munyaka then applied for a default judgment last month after Manyuchi did not respond to the two year claim.
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