Lovemore Ndou built a career in the boxing ring and became a three-time world champion, but is now fighting for the future of South Africa.
The 52-year-old, who competed against the likes of Canelo Alvarez and Kell Brook during his days as a professional, dreams of becoming president as the country heads to the polls this month.
The challenges facing South Africa are such that the outcome of the May 29 elections is the most unpredictable since the dawn of democracy in the ‘Rainbow Nation’.
Some opinion polls have suggested that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) could receive less than 50% of the vote for the first time since taking power in 1994, something that would require the formation of a coalition.
“After 30 years of a failed ANC government, it is clear that our country is going in the wrong direction,” Ndou told BBC Sports Africa.
“The dream of 1994 is no more and the rainbow has faded.
“We live in a country that has been divided and re-divided by a minority of people who only care for themselves.”
Ndou says he shares the vision of the late Nelson Mandela, who was elected president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison.
“Mandela’s dream was to build a united South Africa where people live together, regardless of their colour. That is my dream too,” he said.
“I could never fill his shoes, but I am a visionary who wants to honor the dream he sacrificed his life for.
“There is so much talent in Africa. People are not asking for free handouts, they are asking for opportunities and jobs.”
According to Statistics South Africa, unemployment in the country has risen to 32.9%, while electricity outages, known as load-shedding, have been a problem since 2008.
While Ndou has high hopes and many ideas, running as an independent candidate means he faces a difficult task in garnering enough support to reach parliament as most South Africans still vote along party lines.
The ANC, led by Cyril Ramaphosa, the Democratic Alliance, the Official Opposition led by John Steenhuisen and Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters are expected to re-emerge as the three largest parties.
Ndou’s chances of becoming president are extremely slim because he must be elected to the National Assembly, where the 400 members will vote for a new head of state within 30 days of the general election.
But it was a desire to help South Africa ‘come out of a crisis’ that saw the former welterweight put himself forward as a candidate.
Persistent economic inequality, allegations of corruption and high levels of violent crime have also eroded trust in authorities, although the ANC says it is working to resolve these issues.
Ndou believes that swift action must be taken to prevent South Africa from following the example of Zimbabwe, which was once considered the ‘breadbasket of Africa’ but is itself facing serious economic problems amid allegations of corruption against the ruling Zanu-PF government.
“The country is on the brink of collapse,” Ndou claimed.
“If we continue this way, we will reach a point of no return economically, like in Zimbabwe. That’s the last thing we need.
“Apartheid was partly to blame, but at some point we have to take responsibility. It’s been thirty years now.”
Ndou ‘shaped life around Mandela’
Growing up in Musina, Limpopo, during the apartheid era, Ndou was always interested in politics and had a few run-ins with the authorities while protesting the white minority government.
“I always got in trouble with the police because I spoke out against abuses and against apartheid,” he said.
“I have always been a political activist.”
Ndou emigrated to Australia shortly after the ANC came to power and, having also trained as a lawyer, has compared his journey to that of the man who was president from 1994 to 1999.
“Mandela was a boxer, even if he didn’t perform at the same level as me,” he said.
‘Mandela was a lawyer and spent 27 years in prison. I spent 27 years abroad.
“I want to build a South Africa where the future of our children is guaranteed and we have a better future for everyone.”
Ndou now has Australian citizenship and has an office based in New South Wales, specializing in family law and criminal law.
He decided to emigrate because of better opportunities abroad, but says he “never lost touch with South Africa”.
“Australia has been good to me,” he said.
“I believe that if I had stayed in South Africa, I don’t think I would have achieved what I have achieved today.”
Abandoning a ‘brutal’ sport
Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, opportunities for Ndou in South Africa were few and far between.
He took up boxing at the age of 14 to help him deal with anger issues and eventually used it as a means of escaping poverty.
“If I hadn’t boxed, I would probably be dead or locked up (in jail) today,” he admitted.
“When I was growing up, almost every kid walked around with a knife or gun.
“With that anger, I carried those weapons myself and I probably would have used those weapons or someone would have used it against me.”
Ndou started his professional career in 1993 and eventually confirmed his retirement from the sport in 2016, at the age of 45, four years after his last fight.
Towards the end of his time in the ring, he set his sights on his future law career, studying and preparing for fights.
And Ndou believes his qualifications set him apart from other politicians.
“Without boasting, I am more educated than all South African presidents,” he said.
“That’s just a fact.”
Despite recording 49 wins and two draws in his 64 professional appearances, Ndou does not have a high opinion of the discipline.
“As much as I love boxing and respect what it has done for me, it is cruel and barbaric,” he said.
“Every time you enter the ring you are risking your life. I would never encourage anyone to take up boxing unless he or she has a good reason to do so.
“If I had been born in Australia, where there are so many opportunities, there is no way I would have taken up boxing.”
Should Ndou come to power, his attempt to provide more opportunities for young South Africans could inadvertently deal a blow to the sport he was once devoted to.
Read more about the elections in South Africa here.
