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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
FORMER heavy weight boxer John Mutema (61), better known as “Bonyongo the Destroyer” who died on Thursday morning was buried at his rural homestead in Beitbridge yesterday.

Scores of mourners from across the country thronged his Tshibidzanani homestead located 11km west of the border town along Beitbridge-Bulawayo road.

Beitbridge senator Tambudzani Mohadi, MP for Beitbridge West constituency, Metrine Mudau, Zanu-PF Matabeleland South chairperson Rabelani Choeni and other top civil servants and businessmen attended the burial.

Bonyongo died in the early hours of Thursday after suffering a stroke at his Dulibadzimu house in Beitbridge.

The former boxer was the last man to fight former Zimbabwe and all Africa heavyweight boxing champion Proud “Kilimanjaro” Chinembiri before the Man Mountain’s death in 1994.

Bonyongo lost the bout at Ascot Stadium in Gweru on a technicality after developing a serious cut on the upper side of the left eye. He quit boxing in 1999 as there were no heavy weight boxers to challenge him.

Speaker after speaker spoke well of the late boxing great.

His son Cashord described his father as a perfectionist and a man full of love for family and the community.

“He was very passionate about boxing and a good advisor. My father was very firm all the time and a pillar of strength to us. His death was a shock to all of us. He has left a great void that will be hard to fill,” he said.

Senator Mohadi described Bonyongo as a professional and straight forward businessman who had contributed a lot in putting the border town (Beitbridge) on the spotlight.

Echoing the same sentiments was MP for Beitbridge West Mudau and his friend and local businessman Charles Terry Mulowa who said the late boxing great had served the community selflessly.

“He was an astute businessman and we learnt a lot from his excellent management skills,” said Mulowa.

Bonyongo did his primary education at St John’s School before completing his secondary education at Elam Mission in Katerere, Nyanga.

He thereafter moved to Masvingo in 1971 where he got his first job at Chevron Hotel.