malvernmugadzikwa
Sports Reporter
GWANDA-born female bantamweight boxer Monica Mkandla keeps on shining across the Limpopo, as she managed to maintain a clean professional record with another win against fellow Zimbabwean Pamela Mutanga in a non-title contest in South Africa on Friday night.
The win pushed Mkandla’s record to 5-0.
She has shown a lot of promise since turning professional last year.
Her fight against Mutanga was one of the bouts on the undercard of the African Boxing Union SADC Lightweight title match between Lancelot Moyo of Zimbabwe and Kaine Fourie of South Africa.
The South African won the title after outclassing Moyo.
The boxing event — organised by Unleashed Combat Sport Events — also featured another Zimbabwean, Pritchard Dube, who turned pro after a victory over Lukholo Ndlangalavu of South Africa.
But the night belonged to rising star Mkandla.
The 22-year-old boxer turned pro on August 6, 2022, after a unanimous decision win against Sasha Mambo in Chivhu.
Since then, she has never looked back.
Mkandla now fights in South Africa, where she has been working her way up the ladder. Her latest victim, Mutanga, was her fifth, following previous wins against Nomusa Ngema, Mitchell Mubaya, Sazisiwe Simon and Mambo.
Mkandla was born in Gwanda and attended Gwanda High School.
She took up boxing to stand up against school bullies and is now slowly positioning herself for an international title.
She is one of the female boxers putting Zimbabwe on the international boxing map.
Former World Boxing Council Interim super bantamweight champion Kudakwashe Chiwandire, veteran Monalisa Sibanda and Revai Madondo are some of the few active female pugilists in the country.
Madondo, who hails from Highfield in Harare, is set to contest for a WBC belt next month.
Bongani Ndlovu