‘Zaire president killed my grandad and targeted my dad’ – TKV’s family story

Jeamie “TKV” Tshikeva aspires to make history in DR Congo as the reigning British heavyweight champion, stepping off the plane with the belt slung over his shoulder and demonstrating the transformation of his parents and grandparents’ country.

Such a homecoming would have real weight in a country that was once known as Zaire, where 60, 000 people crowded into Kinshasa for Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle.

The British national from Tottenham tells BBC Sport, “It would be a big statement.” “Maybe I could go there and conduct a rumble in Jungle 2”

However, this is more than just a boxer’s romantic vision of his family.

The nation that forged his family’s identity also forced them to flee, a nation rife with soldiers, coups, poisonings, and deadly plots that repeatedly targeted Jeamie’s father.

According to Jeamie, “perhaps eight, ten years ago, it wasn’t safe to return.” However, things have changed recently.

Andre-Bruno Tshikeva, Jeamie’s grandfather, was a prominent officer in the Zairean army during the Belgian regime in the 1950s.

Jeamie claims that “people in France and Belgium study my grandpa.”

Andre-Bruno allegedly enlisted in Belgium to protect King Baudouin, according to the family. In 1960, Zaire resigned as a reputable lieutenant in the army.

In a military coup, he helped Mobutu Sese Seko, the authoritarian ruler who seized power in 1965, take control of the country.

Popularity, however, was risky in Mobutu’s Zaire. In what became known as the “Pentecost Plot,” Mobutu ordered the public hanging of four former cabinet ministers who were accused of conspiring against him in 1966.

The loyalty between Andre-Bruno and Mobutu deteriorated as a result of their viewing each other as a threat to their position.

Jeamie’s father, Makasi, describes what transpired next in Kolwezi, a remote but crucial city.

According to Makasi, “My dad had no idea, but Mobutu organized it so that it was all set up to kill him.”

A rebel force quickly swept through the area as he arrived.

According to Makasi, “He killed some of those rebels, took his Jeep, and ran.” He “couldn’t understand why his own people were battling him.”

Andre-Bruno was charged with facilitating violence and the murder of innocent people in Kinshasa. He was detained, detained, and imprisoned.

The method eventually turned to poison, and the attempt at his life persisted. Apparently, even one of his ten wives was paid to give toxins.

When one of his wives passed away, Andre-Bruno was freed from prison in 1973 on compassionate grounds, but the damage was irreversible.

Every time he used the restroom, Makasi says, “you could smell toxins.”

At age 18, Makasi resolved the issue.

He claims, “I enlisted in the army to make amends for my dad’s passing.” My intention was to work hard, advance up the ranks, and work as Mobutu’s bodyguard. So I could shoot him if I came close enough to him.

But he never quite succeeded because his company was known for its excessive popularity. He claims that they planned to murder me in the same way that they did my father.

Makasi quickly rose to the position of commando instructor, instructing elite units, though.

He was once invited to a private meal, only to be informed that the chef had poisoned him.

A rope allegedly loosened during a training session caused him to plunge 80 feet. Makasi jumped ropes after being warned by a friend moments before.

He eventually fled with his young son and new wife. He arrived in Tottenham in 1991.

Jeamie says, “It’s funny how history repeats itself.”

Makasi had been a pro wrestler for most of his youth, a highly regarded sport in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He later established a wrestling school in Haringey for the area’s children and continued wrestling in London under the name “Big Papa T.” He claims that WWE, which he was later known as WWF, had an idea for him before deciding to concentrate on raising his family.

He never fully let his guard down, though his family history included political foes.

He says, “I was concerned, but you have to be prepared.” I was training like a mad person, even though there is no money in wrestling. So I’ll kill you by hand unless you shoot me if someone approaches me.

While north London taught its own lessons, Jeamie grew up hearing these tales.

He witnessed the riots that followed Mark Duggan’s shooting in 2011 and the tension that followed.

He claims that “it was a wild situation” and that he never imagined that some of my friends might end up in prison.

Jeamie might have been filmed this Saturday in a different context than under the lights. He received his Middlesex University degree in film and television studies.

“Both of my parents lived well in the Democratic Republic of Congo.” They came from wealthy parents, he claims. They didn’t go through struggle.

“My dad is an educated man because he both earned degrees from universities in Africa and here.” He could only wish for his children.

However, the family trait would always come up.

“My grandad fought bravely.” My father fought bravely. He engaged in a lot of combat sports, Jeamie adds.

Jeamie started wrestling, going on to joke that his name would have been “Big Papa T Jr,” before switching to boxing, which is a more lucrative sport.

He won silver at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, represented DR Congo, and went professional in 2022 after 72 amateur matches.

With a chance to win a British title on free-to-air BBC television, TKV sees a way back to the beginning of his family’s story.

And Makasi is equally excited about having a homecoming.