HARARE, July 13 (Reuters) – Former world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather attended a political campaign event in Zimbabwe on Thursday, as part of the ruling party’s attempts to woo young voters ahead of next month’s general election it comes.
Mayweather was greeted with song and dance by ZANU PF party supporters in Mabvuku, one of Zimbabwe’s oldest townships, outside the capital Harare.
One of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s closest allies, gold tycoon Scott Sakupwanya, who is seeking to regain an opposition parliamentary seat, said he had invited Mayweather.
“People thought I was lying when I said I would bring Mayweather, but he is here. This shows that what I will promise in this election will be fulfilled,” Sakupwanya told Reuters at the rally.
[1/3]Former World Boxing Champion (WBC) Floyd Mayweather waves to fans upon his arrival at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare, Zimbabwe on July 13, 2023. He is in the country for three days to meet support for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF party.REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo
The 46-year-old American ex-boxer thrilled the crowd with a public workout, which included punches and jumping rope. He also watched three matches of the Zimbabwe boxers.
Some young people attending the rally pledged to vote for Mnangagwa, 80, who is seeking a second term in the August 23 poll.
“I am happy to see Mayweather here in Zimbabwe, it is my first time to come here. I am registered to vote and I will vote for President Emmerson Mnangagwa,” White Marurame, 34, told Reuters.
The youth vote is expected to be a crucial battleground for the two main political parties, ZANU PF and the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC).
The election comes amid a sharp economic crisis, with high inflation and a currency that has fallen more than 50% against the US dollar in the past month.
Reporting by Nyasha Chingono Editing by Nellie Peyton and Frances Kerry
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
