Former Commonwealth boxing champion, Arifonso “Mosquito” Zvenyika, finds himself facing another round in the ring, this time a bitter battle outside the ropes. His marriage to Jesman Mutokonya has crumbled following the discovery of an extra-marital affair involving his wife and Leonard Jamanda.
The explosive revelation came to light when Mutokonya’s phone, needing repairs, fell into Zvenyika’s hands. While the phone was being serviced, the former champion uncovered explicit text messages between his wife and Jamanda, detailing a passionate affair involving numerous sexual encounters. Many of the messages were too graphic for publication, but some, like Jamanda’s boast, “ndatoipa mazuva ano” (I’m now deadly these days), and Mutokonya’s reference to her boyfriend’s private parts using his totem, paint a vivid picture of the affair’s intimacy. Other messages, such as Mutokonya’s “ndinokutyora musana shamwari” (I’ll break your back my friend), further illustrate the depth of their relationship.
Zvenyika’s discovery led to a confrontation with Jamanda, who, far from showing remorse, reacted aggressively. When presented with the evidence, Jamanda’s response was dismissive and defiant: “GO AND HANG,” he reportedly told Zvenyika. Further, Jamanda challenged Zvenyika’s reaction, stating, “Ukaona mazuva ano muchirwira mukadzi kana kuponderana mukadzi ndiwo udofo chaiwo. Mukadzi ahura anorambwa wotora mumwe anovimbika. Nehuwandu hwevakadzi sure zviriko here? Ini wangu adaro anoenda kumusha kwake bhudhi, ini kwandiri she said she is a single mother. Dai uriiwe waidini? Pafunge bhudhi pekuti tinetsane nezvisina maturo. Plus ini handina kuuya kumba kwako.” (If you see these days fighting over a woman or competing for a woman, that’s foolishness. A woman who is a prostitute is divorced and you take another faithful one. With the number of women available, is that really necessary? Mine did that and went to her home, a fool, and to me she said she is a single mother. What would you have done? Think, fool, so that we don’t waste time on nonsense. Plus, I didn’t come to your home.)
Jamanda’s callous attitude continued when Zvenyika threatened legal action. Jamanda responded with a series of aggressive and dismissive comments: “Hama chekutanga dai waisungirira imbwa yako kuti isapoye. Kechipiri dai wakainyora kuti mukadzi wemunhu maybe zvaiva ne sense. Iwe vakadzi vangani vawanyenga? Sekuti isu tinoziva kwedu kuti mukadzi ahura ipapo ipapo anorambwa. Saka zvekucourt kwandiri haisi nyaya. Ko iniwo kana ndiri kuita revenge mukadzi wanguwo wawakanditorera?
“Saka unofunga kuti ini handikuzivi here? Ita mushe pliz usandinetsa go to hell and hang. Saka ini chete ndini wawagona kuona matext angu, ko evamwe ke? Kana iri nyaya yemacourts ndiko kwangu ikoko, toonana musi wacho. But next time isa mukadzi wako chikwangwari chinotaridza kuti mukadzi wemunhu. Plus ukuona mukadzi wako akuda mumwe murume iwe uripo there’s something wrong. Don’t bother me anymore. Let us meet kucourt sekureva kwako.”
Zvenyika, devastated by the betrayal, returned home from the gym to find his wife and three children, aged 12, 8, and 3, gone. Mutokonya had absconded, taking with her most of the household furniture, including the kitchen unit, wardrobe, blankets, and all the food purchased for the festive season.
A heartbroken Zvenyika lamented, “Ndasvikowana imba yave dongo mukoma,” (I found the house empty, my brother). He revealed his emotional turmoil, stating, “Dzimwe pfungwa dziri kuti ndiuraye vaviri ava because ini vatondiurayawo nezvavaita but an Advocate l train at the gym has been counselling and advising me to go the courts route.”
Mutokonya, when contacted, offered a brief and somewhat evasive response: “Babamukuru vakahaker fone yangu saka vaona mamesage, manzi muratidze ruzhinji rweZimbabwe here?”
This latest marital setback adds another chapter to Zvenyika’s complicated personal life. He has been married three times before, the first at the tender age of 16, and has a total of twelve children. His August 2016 wedding to Mutokonya, a lavish ceremony at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Waterfalls, complete with a Police Band performance, had seemed to promise a more stable future. Now, that hope lies shattered, leaving the former champion facing a tough fight outside the boxing ring.
