Gilbert Munetsi

Southern Africa’s female boxing scene will be on full display when the third edition of the Trabablas tournament stages its latest stop at the Kwekwe Sports Arena on September 25.

What began as a one‑off “Gloves On” event in Chivhu has evolved into Zimbabwe’s most visible touring boxing brand. The inaugural Trabablas drew more than 40 pugilists from across the region and quickly positioned itself as a potential game‑changer for the sport.

After Chivhu, the series moved to Mutare and then Harare for Trabablas 2, where the profile of winners was underscored by high‑value rewards—most notably, inaugural belt champion Clever Sithole receiving a Toyota Fortuner from businessman Kuda Tagwirei.

Promoter and former WBC Silver welterweight champion Charles Manyuchi, running the series through the Charles Manyuchi Boxing Academy, has set an explicit target: stage Trabablas events in all ten of Zimbabwe’s provinces as a way of recognising achievements under the Second Republic. Kwekwe is the latest checkpoint on that map, with organisers framing the tournament as both a sporting spectacle and a vehicle for provincial pride and opportunity.

This edition leans heavily into the women’s narrative, featuring a deep regional field from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and South Africa—and, by some accounts, competitors from as far as the DRC and Tanzania—highlighting Trabablas’ pull as a cross‑border platform.

The headline women’s bout sees Zimbabwe’s Revai Madondo challenge Malawi’s Chimwemwe Banda for the Women International Boxing Association (WIBA) title. It is a marquee matchup that builds on Madondo’s recent TKO win over Tamary Mtambalika in Lilongwe on July 26, which improved her record to 10‑5‑1.

Now fighting under the Charles Manyuchi Academy, Madondo says the move from freelance to managed boxing has given her career direction—and she’s urging fans to turn up in Kwekwe.

“If you are working alone, you lack proper management. If you have management, you have guidance,” she said, adding that the tournament is a “rare opportunity for us ladies.”

Beyond Madondo–Banda, the women’s slate includes Alice Mbewe versus Loveness Khoka and Mary Mhango against Malawi’s Mphatso Metaudzu, with fighters already in camp stressing team preparation and the significance of performing on home soil.

Mbewe, also under the Manyuchi Academy, called Kwekwe a “golden opportunity” for the girl child and appealed for strong public support. Malawian Elizabeth Phiri, already in Zimbabwe, noted that a standout showing could unlock bigger doors beyond Trabablas 3.

While the women’s division anchors the storytelling, the card’s main attraction remains a World Boxing Federation contest between Zimbabwe’s Freeman Mabvongwe and Zambia’s Mbachi Kaonga.

Trabablas’ growth from a single town event to a multi‑city tour mirrors a wider push to professionalise and monetise boxing in Zimbabwe—evident in the series’ high‑visibility rewards and the involvement of prominent business figures.

By taking the brand province by province, Manyuchi’s team is betting that consistent, well‑promoted events will create a pipeline for female fighters, raise the sport’s profile outside Harare, and keep regional rivals engaged on a recurring circuit.