THREE years ago, January 21, 2012 to be precise, in a piece titled “Selective justice: Mayweather’s case” I discussed the issue of what I termed ‘selective justice’ surrounding undefeated (42-0, 26 Kos then) World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr’s postponed date with  imprisonment.
Mayweather was scheduled to enter Clark County Detention Center on January 6 to begin serving a 90- day sentence for misdemeanor domestic battery but instead received a continuance to June 1.
The case stemmed from a hair-pulling, punching and arm-twisting argument with Josie Harris, his girlfriend and the mother of three of Mayweather’s children, and threats to beat their sons in an argument about Harris dating another man. Harris, now 33, lives in the Los Angeles area with the couple’s sons, now 15 and 12, and a daughter age 11.
Interestingly, Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa who gave Mayweather the January 6 sentence was the same one who overturned her own decision and allowed the elite American prize fighter until June 1 to serve his jail sentence, thus allowing Floyd to fight on May 5 as scheduled against Miguel Cotto. A last minute appeal by Mayweather’s legal team, it was reported, convinced the Las Vegas judge to allow Floyd to fulfil “prior commitments and contracts.”
Judge Saragosa’s decision raised a number of questions about equitable dispensation    of justice.  First, was her change of heart due to an appeal of the sentence? No. Second, was it because Mayweather, no stranger to being accused of violence against women, already pleaded guilty to the lesser charge as part of a plea agreement? No.
Mayweather’s sentence was moved because weeks before his guilty plea, Mayweather, the MGM Grand, and Golden Boy Promotions made a deal for the May 5, 2012 fight.
This backdrop, I thought as I sat to do this column, is important in the wake of a rather strange occurrence that has happened to WBC international welterweight champion Charles Manyuchi who, fresh from making the second successful defence of his title in Italy, has been treated like a doormat by his own compatriots in his country Zimbabwe.
Media reports said Manyuchi had his trophy he won after knocking out Giancula Frezza confiscated and then given back  by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority before they kept custody of his passport the for the offence of not declaring the trophy.
Several trips by Manyuchi to the airport to try to retrieve his passport proved futile and the boxer, highly celebrated in Zambia, had at this writing reportedly given hope, leaving his fate in the hands of the Zimbabwe boxing authorities to intervene in the matter.
The Zimbabwean authorities need to ask themselves which other boxer apart from British-based Derick ‘Del Boy’ Chisora a former WBO, WBA (international) and European heavyweight champion has brought glory to Zimbabwe like Manyuchi.
What is it about the trophy Manyuchi won after risking his precious life in the ring that the taxmen are fussing about?  Agreed, there should be one law for all, but when did tax collection overtake good sense and common decency?
Manyuchi should be seen as a hero and respected in Zimbabwe and heroes are not treated like doormats. Tell me, if Floyd could have his encounter with prison postponed after committing a crime, why on earth would you treat a great champion like Manyuchi who has elevated Zimbabwe’s and Africa’s pedigree as a boxing nation and continent like that?
Yes, all men are equal before the law, but let’s not forget George Orwell’s classic novel, Animal Farm in which he reminded mankind that although “all animals are equal … some animals are more equal than others.”
Mwale.simon@yahoo.co.uk   / 0966 755574