BY ALBERT MARUFU FORMER WBO Africa Super Middleweight champion, Tineyi Maridzo, could lose his boxing licence following a dispute with Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (ZNBWCB) over unpaid levies.Maridzo, who on July 9 this year lost to South African Ryno Liebenberg in a non-title contest after a two-year absence from the ring, is accusing the ZNBWCB of not representing the boxer’s interests following the deduction of an unexplained 20% from his winning purse in the fight against Michael Schultz in July 2010. The boxer, who has since been stripped of the WBO Africa Super Middleweight title, said ZNBWCB watched while he was being cheated in South Africa. In addition, he said they wanted the 10% levy from him. “I am not refusing to pay the 10% levy that should be paid to ZNBWCB, but I want them to explain why 20% (R9 000) of my R45 000 was deducted. After the fight against Shultz in 2010, I was told that the sum was supposed to be deducted from my winning purse,” Maridzo said. “Just after the fight, I asked Mr Patrick Mukondiwa as a member of the ZNBWCB who was waiting outside to clarify to us why we were being made to pay the amount, but he refused to come into the office. I then refused to pay the 10% levy to ZNBWCB because they had failed to represent me as they purport to.” However, ZNBWCB then took their 10% levies (R5 000) from the R20 000 he got from the fight against Liebenberg on July 9, which led the boxer to demand the 20% that was deducted from his purse in 2010. Mukondiwa admitted that a meeting had taken place between the board and the boxer where the latter brought his wife and three kids. “I can confirm that we had a meeting with the boxer with regards to the issue of levies, but can only divulge much after next week’s board meeting. The meeting could not be finished because of the boxer’s behaviour as he became violent,” Mukondiwa said.
