AndrewLangton Nyakwenda
HE has a stadium named after him, the same arena where Dynamos were “robbed” in the 1998 CAF Champions League final.
Most of Ivory Coast’s economic progress is still attributed to this late president, 27 years after his death.
Felix Houphouet-Boigny ruled Ivory Coast for 33 years between 1960 and 1993, and for all his heroism and massive respect he earned locally and abroad, the revered leader could not resist this heavily-built boxer from Zimbabwe. Proud “Kilimanjaro” Chinembiri — the late Mbare-born heavy hitter — charmed the late Ivorian leader to an extent that he became a regular guest at the Presidential Palace for almost three years.
Regarded as the best ever heavyweight boxer to come out of Zimbabwe since Independence, Chinembiri held the All-Africa (ABU) title for five consecutive years between 1982 and 1987, and enchanted the late Houphouet-Boigny with his power and skill.
It all started after a then 26-year-old Kilimanjaro beat home favourite Mary Konate in a close African Boxing Union heavyweight contest held in Abidjan on February 1, 1985.
Kilimanjaro immediately won the hearts of Ivorian promoters, including President Houphouet-Boigny, and for almost three years the West African country literally became Chinembiri’s second home.
Kilimanjaro’s elder brother, Punish, who accompanied the boxer on the famous West African sojourns, recalls the euphoria created by the late pugilist in Abidjan and surrounding areas. “The then President of Ivory Coast, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, loved boxing a lot. I remember he had also taken in Mary Konate from Mali and gave him citizenship.
“So, when Konate was beaten by Kili (Chinembiri), the president immediately fell in love with my brother.
“We became regular guests at the State House, we were given French bodyguards to escort us whenever we moved around town and at one time the president offered Kilimanjaro a very good house in one of the leafy suburbs of Abidjan,” revealed Punish in an interview with The Sunday Mail Sport.
Kilimanjaro fought seven bouts in Abidjan and only lost two non-title fights between February 1, 1985 and June 4, 1988.
“He (Kilimanjaro) became so close to President Houphouet-Boigny. We wined and dined a lot with the royal family.
“At some point, President Houphouet-Boigny offered us to go to Yamoussoukro, where his father stayed, just to go there and spend a day with him.
“The Ivorian president even offered my brother citizenship but he refused. You know what? Kili loved Bulawayo a lot, so he couldn’t sacrifice that city’s lifestyle for anything.
“Up to now I think he should have taken up the offer (citizenship), maybe his career would have scaled greater heights.”
Kilimanjaro died in 1994 with a proud record of 32 wins, six losses and zero draws.
He rose to prominence on September 4, 1982 when he won the All-Africa heavyweight title after knocking out Adama Mensah of Ghana in the sixth round in front of a strong 15 000 crowd at Rufaro in Harare.
Kilimanjaro successfully defended his title until August 29, 1987 when he lost to Michael Simuwelu of Zambia in Bulawayo, which had become his new base after relocating from the capital, Harare.
He regained his ABU title exactly a year later when he knocked out Simuwelu in Lusaka on August 8, 1988. In 1984, Kilimanjaro had a chance to challenge then Commonwealth champion Trevor Berbick of Canada, who would go on to win the WBC title, but the deal fell through. Chinembiri was still dominant in Africa by the time Mike Tyson announced himself to the world after knocking out Berbick for the WBC heavyweight title on November 22, 1986.
At some point in 1985, he was rated the 14th best boxer by the World Boxing Council.
The Zimbabwean boxing hero even had an opportunity to fight former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, but the fight did not materialise as Kilimanjaro had some medical issues on the eve of the bout.
He tested HIV positive.
Nonetheless, Kilimanjaro’s popularity in Ivory Coast, which was aptly dubbed “Kilimania”, was neatly captured in a Herald article of June 12, 1986.
“In Abidjan, the capital city of the West African country, Kilimanjaro dares not venture into the streets alone where hundreds of his fans can mob him at the drop of the hat.
“Next to Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Cde Mugabe and his wife Cde Sally, Kilimanjaro is the best known and loved citizen of this country in West Africa,” wrote Simomo Mubi for The Herald.
“Kili’s No.1 fan in the Ivory Coast is the country’s head of state President Houphouet-Boigny. During his frequent visits to the Ivory Coast, Kilimanjaro is often invited to the State House.
“Newspapers devote pages to features on Kilimanjaro with usually most of the front pages with blown up pictures of the boxing champion and President Houphouet-Boigny.”
It was reported that several approaches were made to Kilimanjaro by Ivorian boxing authorities to have the Zimbabwean star become a citizen of the West African country.
Veteran boxing promoter Stalin Mau Mau hailed Kilimanjaro, but he has his own reservations.
“When it comes to the crunch, Kilimanjaro did his part, he remains a boxing hero, but his dispiriting failure to go to the top of the world despite the opportunities that were there can also make him a villain,” Mau Mau told The Sunday Mail Sport.
“He wasted our chance as a country of having a world heavyweight champion. But that is history now. We now have to look at the present and the future.
“Boxing is generational. Just like Muhamad Ali, Kili’s heroism will remain there but in terms of inspiring the current generation, it’s a bit outdated, it’s a bit antiquated.
“Yes, the likes of Kilimanjaro remain boxing heroes, they are our legends and their remembrance remains forever etched in history, but their role of inspiring phases out.
“Today’s boxers are no longer really inspired by boxers who played some 30 or 40 years ago. You can’t play a boxing video of the 1960s and learn something new today.
“The new crop of boxers, the internet era of boxers, are more concerned with the new normal. “So, it is important for us not to be swallowed by history but instead look at the present and the future of Zimbabwean boxing. Where exactly are we heading to?”
Online Reporter