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Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter

HIS mother Annah Kanyemba was a maid in Harare.

First at former Warriors manager Rafiq Khan’s house in Belvedere. Then for former CAPS United’s legend Carlos “Murehwa” Max’s in Arcadia.

She is still there and yesterday she was busy with preparations for one of Max’s daughters who is tying the knot today.

His polygamous father Moffat, who would be murdered in Epworth a decade ago, was in jail. He never got to see him until 1995 when Nevermind Shereni was already eight years old.

Back in an overcrowded compound in Chipfumbi, Goromonzi, poor Shereni was battling an acute ailment – nose-bleeding.

Clinical and traditional medicine failed to treat him.

In his words, “the terrible problem seemed spiritual.”

At times he would bleed and get nearly choked while in bed.

His family commanded a lot of respect at the farm, given their father was a transport supervisor.

But, everything was gone after Moffat was convicted and sentenced to “donkey years” in prison.

“I am the 12th and last born of Moffat Shereni and third born of Annah Kanyemba,” Nevermind Shereni says.

“My father had three wives and my mother was his second.

“When he was jailed, I am told, my mother moved to Harare to fend for us. She was a maid while we were back at the farm in Goromonzi.

“You know the problems associated with polygamous lives, things were hard. Worst for me with my nose-bleeding problem…”

It was for that reason that his mother transferred him to Epworth where he would stay with her relative.

Social welfare and some Non-Governmental Organisations, mostly paid for his school fees. But his bleeding troubles weren’t getting any better.

“Then in 2004, I joined my old friend Jesimani Lipenga in a martial arts style he termed Seidokan although it wasn’t registered. People had told me that practising martial arts would help me heal from my nose-bleeding problem so I had to do it anyway,” Nevermind Shereni said.

“I would have preferred gymnastics but martial arts was said to be the only way I would heal.”

Somehow it worked.

“I didn’t want to continue doing martial arts but my fear was what if the problem resurfaced?

“That’s why in 2006 when I was at college studying motor vehicle mechanics in Chitungwiza, I had to join a Taekwondo class.

“Luckily, this one was registered under the Taekwondo International Federation and the training sessions were being conducted by the style’s founder in Zimbabwe, Peter Finish Kabu, who was famous for winning a bronze medal at the then All-Africa Games in 1995.”

Then everything changed.

Out of fear of losing his life due to nose-bleeding, Nevermind Shereni learnt and grasped the style like no man’s business.

He teamed-up with other passionate fighters, including the legendary Jimmy Solomon and Richard Maendaenda, to form a Taekwondo club in Epworth.

It was not until 2008 when Nevermind Shereni was convinced by Evans Brown who was the Kickboxing Zimbabwe vice-president to start participating in tournaments.

“I then won gold in the African Kickboxing Championships and many other tournaments. I was supposed to represent the country in Italy that same year (2008) but failed to get sponsorship.”

That same year, Nevermind Shereni met Mugove Muhambi, a passionate full contact trainer.

“I saw real potential in him (Shereni). I then talked to him to come for full contact lessons. Luckily, he agreed. I loved the discipline in him and his ability to grasp concepts,” said Muhambi.

“He is a Warrior and he still consults me on different issues up to now.”

Nevermind Shereni’s breakthrough tournament was when he scooped a gold medal during an event to celebrate Samson Muripo’s World Championship triumph in 2009.

He never looked back since then.

“My son is a talented fighter but he only ventured into this to try and fight nose-bleeding,” said his mother Annah. 

“Looking at how it started and who he is now makes me so happy. His is an inspirational story that I always want to share with other kids.

“I always pray whenever he is going for tournaments. I am happy he also found a good wife with whom he has three kids.”

Nevermind Shereni, now a second Dan black belt holder, has won over 25 medals in international tournaments for the country. He is registered with the Global Taekwondo Federation and is the president of Zimbabwe’s GTF.

Last week, he was the cream of the Zimbabwean crop when he grabbed four medals, two of which were gold, in the Japanese Ambassadors Cup at the National Youth Development Centre in Lusaka, Zambia.

He is already preparing to participate in the upcoming World Championships in Georgia in October.

Nevermind Shereni, a qualified motor mechanic and electrician, is now a proud owner of two houses in Harare and has established Taekwondo clubs across the country as he bids to change lives through this sport.