The High Court has ordered former world boxing champion, Charles Manyuchi, to pay US$18,000 in damages to Tapiwa Munyaka, the husband of a woman he impregnated after an adulterous affair.
As reported by The Mirror, Manyuchi had been training the young, married woman, Chengeto Viola Munyaka, at his gym.
On Tuesday, Justice Zisengwe, sitting in the High Court in Masvingo, granted the damages in a default judgment made in favour of Munyaka.
The affair was uncovered in 2021 when Tapiwa Munyaka, a regional manager at a microfinance bank in Masvingo, went through his wife’s phone and discovered explicit pictures and images documenting the sexual escapades between Manyuchi and his wife.
Munyaka claims that the affair severely damaged his self-esteem and exposed him to sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, as his wife and Manyuchi did not use condoms.
Court documents reveal that Manyuchi’s gym operated out of Flamboyant, a Regency Group hotel in Masvingo, and that Munyaka’s seven-year marriage to Viola has now broken down irreparably.
Ironically, Munyaka had been supportive of his wife’s involvement at Manyuchi’s gym, even accompanying her there.
He also allowed Viola to become one of the faces of Manyuchi’s upcoming boxing matches. Together with a team of Manyuchi’s supporters, Viola would visit various holiday resorts, including Kariba, to celebrate the boxer’s victories. Reads part of Munyaka’s application:
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.
The adultery damages awarded in this case are the highest ever granted by the High Court in Masvingo.
Charles Manyuchi, the former world boxing champion, received a letter of demand from Munyaka in November 2022, but he failed to respond, leading to an application for a default judgment.
Munyaka claimed that his wife, Chengeto, fell pregnant by Manyuchi and had an abortion. He had paid lobola for Chengeto in 2015, and they solemnized their marriage in 2019, having two children together.
Munyaka further alleged that Manyuchi had recorded his sexual encounters with Chengeto and that the affair became widely known among his colleagues, severely affecting his reputation and self-esteem.
Munyaka sought a total of US$50,000 in damages: US$30,000 for consortium (compensation for the impact on relationship, companionship, and support lost) and US$20,000 for contumelia (damages for insulting language or treatment). However, the judge awarded Munyaka US$8,000 for consortium and US$10,000 for contumelia.
The affair reportedly began when the couple joined Manyuchi’s training group in 2021. Munyaka stated that Manyuchi selected Chengeto to participate in advertisements and promotions for his match against Ugandan boxer Mohamed Sebyala.
Munyaka, who was represented by Charles Ndlovu of Ndlovu and Hwacha Legal Practitioners, discovered the affair towards the end of 2021.
Despite sending a letter of demand to Manyuchi in 2022, there was no response or attempt to apologize, suggesting that Manyuchi was unconcerned with the matter’s outcome.
Following Manyuchi’s lack of response to the two-year claim, Munyaka applied for a default judgment last month.
Manyuchi is a former World Boxing Federation (WBF), Global Boxing Union, World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver welterweight, and World Alliance Boxing Association (WABA) champion.
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