Warriors legend Shingi Kawondera says she met his ailing ex-wife Marry Mubaiwa-Chiwenga in 2004 through the late socialite Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure.
Marry was married to Terry Mandizha when she met Kawondera for the first time. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zim Morning Post, Kawondera said:
I met her (Marry) through Ginimbi. I had met Ginimbi around 2004 but was more close to his cousin Terry who is Mudiwa’s brother.
What happened is I was in camp at Cresta Lodge hotel and l wanted a local number since I had just got back from Cyprus.
Terry sent Ginimbi with the line. l gave him (Ginimbi) an old US$100 akabva atadza kuichinja (he failed to make use of it) and he came back the next day when I was preparing to go for lunch.
Then l opened my drawer to take my perfume and Ginimbi achibva awona mari (Genius saw my money).
l had something like $7 000 and he was like mdhara mari yese ndeyei ndakati if we win our game ndeye party.
If we lose hameno. (You have so much money, if you win the game we ought to party and if you do not we will still make a plan!).
He went to his knees. Remember I didn’t know him? This was our second meeting zvikanzi mudhara please if u can give me this money about $5k I will buy Econet sim cards.
I will come back in two to three days even before your game and repay you.
l trusted him and gave him US$5 000. After three days he came back and he had sold them in two days. I didn’t ask for my money back since we were like partners.
He was already into gas but he didn’t have enough capital so we used to sell only two to three tanks per day.
When l went to Turkey around 2005-2006 that is when Pioneer Gases started.
I brought in about US$60 000 then we drove to Ndola in Zambia takahodha gas, rakawanda.
I know they are some people who claim to have helped Ginimbi but they can never tell that to me as far as Pioneer gases is concerned. I know better.
Kawondera said Marry was at the same hotel where she wanted to meet Charles Mhlauri (who was the Warriors coach) with a view of asking him to be one of the judges at one of the beauty pageants.
That was where Ginimbi introduced Kawondera to Marry and they exchanged numbers because he wanted to assist her to convince Mhlauri, so he said.
Kawondera said Ginimbi later told him that Marry was his niece and he kept in touch with her even though she was still married to Mandizha. He said:
When l was in Turkey l was a bit bored remember we didn’t have WhatsApp those days and l couldn’t send a text to Econet.
So I started scrolling my phone, you know looking for someone with a Netone number, and only Mary was available so we started chatting.
“he was still married then and it was a genuine clean chat.
When I came back from Turkey I was staying with Ginimbi in Strathaven. I called Marry just to check on her, she said she would visit, but l wasn’t putting much pressure.
Then one day we were just chilling in the morning, King Labash and Ginimbi and I was like Ginimbi, do you know that I still talk to the queen of your clan zvekuti ndichida kutopedza masports ndogona kutopedza (laughs) (If I want to win her heart I can).
Ginimbi laughed at me and said wakuda kuzvi bigger (you’re bragging too much). Then l called Marry and she said she would come within an hour.
Ginimbi musi iyoyo akakorobha mumba ndati,(Ginimbi swept the house to clean up), well that’s how Marry is important to their clan, she came after an hour.
After that visit, Kawondera and Marry’s friendship blossomed into love and later into marriage.
The short-lived marriage produced the now 13-year old daughter.