Independence Boxing Bonanza To Fight Drug And Substance Abuse
By Desire Tshuma
Harare — Deltaforce Boxing and MMA Academy will stage its Independence Day Boxing Bonanza on 11 April at City Sports Centre, a four-title fight card timed to the nation’s 2026 independence celebrations. This year’s official independence events will be held in Kezi; organisers say the Harare Bonanza is meant to echo that spirit in the ring and give young fighters a national stage.
Promoter Clyde Musonza pitched the night as a pipeline: regular purses, safer gyms, and a route that can carry Zimbabwean boxers to regional ranks. “The Bonanza celebrates independence by putting money and mentorship into young boxers’ gloves,” he said at Wednesday’s launch. “Too many youths lose their futures to drugs. We want every gym to see the ring as a real alternative — discipline, a purse, and something to take home to family.”
Zimsports 4ED chairman Gabriel Togarepi tied the event to President Mnangagwa’s mantra, saying no one and no place will be left behind. He announced that transport would be provided for youths from all provinces to attend the City Sports Centre tournament and urged young people to take up boxing to curb drug abuse and earn a living.
Tenga Zonke CEO Taurai Tungwarara, whose Nexora trading app is backing the event, framed the sponsorship as more than marketing. He said Zimbabwe’s 46 years of independence are “not just a number on a calendar” and that the Bonanza “sits right in the middle of the country’s best chapters still being written.” Rejecting spectacle for its own sake, he argued the tournament tackles “something real: the fight against drug and substance abuse” and that “the greatest victory is the one won over destructive habits.”
“Power for the young comes from discipline, not from numbing yourself,” Tungwarara told the crowd, urging companies and individuals to “find the moments that matter and put your weight behind them” to “promote good, healthy choices and build a drug-free future.”
The April 11 card features Chemhere vs Chirevo for the flyweight title and inaugural Independence belt, Chiwandire vs Mastara for the female super-featherweight honours, Phiri vs Kanyemba for the Tenga Zonke lightweight crown, and Madondo vs Nhliziyo at super-bantamweight. Organisers say every winner gets two belts, all participants are paid, and undercard slots are open to gyms nationwide.
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From Left: Gabriel Togarepi, Taurai Tungwarara and Clyde Musonza
