Durban - The Pietermaritzburg man who proposed to his girlfriend during her graduation ceremony at the UKZN Westville campus this past weekend is not bothered by the few negative comments posted on social media questioning his motives.
Some social media users made snide remarks after his romantic proposal, saying Sanele Mhlungu - who proposed to his girlfriend of three years Nosipho Nguse as she walked off the podium - had stolen her moment.
Most people seemed overjoyed for the couple.
The couple, both 25, are from the Midlands. Mhlungu is from Eastwood in Pietermaritzburg and Nguse from Howick. They met in 2014 at the UKZN Westville campus.
On Monday, Nguse stood firmly behind her man. Mhlungu focused on the positive.
"There have been positive and negative reactions but those do not bother me because the people who are commenting negatively do not know me or the type of person I am," said Mhlungu.
He is doing his Master's in Medical virology at the UKZN's Medical School and Nguse, who has a BSc in Microbiology and Biochemistry, was receiving her postgraduate Certificate in Education and is working as a teacher.
One person posted on the UKZN Facebook site: "Angaging (engaging) someone on her graduation day? What picture does it gives us? Yoooo! What were you really waiting for?"
Another said: "Hahaha Usisi got ijazi lakhe and umendo (she graduated and was proposed to) in one day... some people cant manage to get even one...Congrats! (sic)"
Another defended Mhlungu: "An engagement doesn't mean they will get married next week. For those who say he is a gold digger who wants to marry her before she gives back to her family... this was the perfect moment to propose."
Mhlungu told The Mercury: "The people who are close to me have been reacting positively while there had been negative remarks as to why I chose her graduation. Those do not bother me because I an not an attention-seeking person. The proposal is something that I had talked about to a few close friends. Our families have already met and they know we want to get married."
He said he had been extremely nervous asking Nguse for her hand in marriage. "It was very unnerving (proposing in front of such a large crowd), but the love I have for her gave me the courage."
He said the lobola negotiations would begin soon.
Nguse said she did not pay any attention to the negative remarks: "People were just expressing their views without knowing the full story."
She was blown away by the proposal. "I am very happy about what he has done for me." She described her fiance as a down-to-earth, quiet, polite and romantic man who loves to read and always encourages her to study.
The Mercury