By Nompumelelo Magwaza and Ntokozo Mfusi
After their lavish wedding on the South Coast on Saturday, police boss Bheki Cele and his new bride, Thembeka, sealed their marriage with a traditional ceremony at their plush R4 million Umhlanga home on Sunday.
The umabo ceremony, in which the bride gives gifts to the groom’s family, took place yesterday afternoon, after the couple spent their wedding night at the Selborne Hotel, near historic Lynton Hall where their reception took place. The gifts usually include blankets, grass mats and pillows.
When The Mercury visited the couple’s home, bodyguards and police officers blocked the gates, saying the event remained “a private affair”.
Unlike at Saturday’s event, for which the dirt road leading to Lynton Hall had to be repaired and smoothed so that the convoy of luxury vehicles of the A-listers were not damaged, the vehicles outside the Celes’ Umhlanga residence were more modest.
Cele, who has been on leave since last Monday, has kept details of his honeymoon destination secret.
According to some of the guests who attended Saturday’s ceremony, Cele made a grand entrance on his own, to the unusual and unexpected mbaqanga song Imbizo by Phuzekhemisi and Khethani.
The choice of the song – best described as a protest against the frequency with which chiefs call meetings where locals are expected to fork out money for various taxes – appears to have surprised some of those present.
Phuzekhemisi did not attend the wedding, but told The Mercury that one of the reasons Cele loved his song was because it reminded him of where he was born in Ogwini, on the South Coast.
The song also painted a picture of a river and green rolling hills of KwaDumisa, which would have appealed to his “homeboy”.
“I am so sad that I did not attend the wedding, and I would have loved to see Cele dancing to my song,” he said.
While those guests who spoke to The Mercury could not remember what song accompanied the entrance of the bride, who was dressed in a Malcolm Kluk creation, they did recall that the couple had opted for Kool and the Gang’s Celebration for their first dance. They were joined by other couples, who enjoyed the old school jams played by DJ Muntu.
Irvin Khoza, Cele’s head lobola negotiator, told guests that because that Cele was now a married man, his friends would have to seek his wife’s permission if they wanted to do anything with him.
President Jacob Zuma, who arrived in a helicopter flanked by his bodyguards, was formally introduced by Justice Minister Jeff Radebe.
He spoke about the importance of family and love, and advised Cele to take care of his home and family.
Thembeka’s father gave the couple a framed prayer to hang in their home, noting that “a home that prays together stays together”.
Cele told the gathering that he never thought he would get married again. When he saw his new wife for the first time, he thought that he would marry her if she agreed to go out with him. The clearly smitten Thembeka added her thanks to the guests for making their wedding memorable.
Guests said the couple were very much in love and referred to each other as “baby”.
While it was not clear who caught the bridal bouquet, local businessman Khulubuse Zuma, who arrived in a red Mercedes-Benz SLS, caught the bridal garter, which according to wedding lore means he might now find himself tying the knot.
The president’s nephew, who already has four fiancées, recently told the Sunday Tribune he planned to marry at the right time.
“I will not marry them all at once. Marriage is a special thing to a woman and she must be made to feel special on the day,” he reportedly said, adding that a weight-loss programme was also on the agenda.
The reception continued until about 2am. It is said that Cele was the last man on the dance floor, outdoing the president, who had earlier also shown off a few dance moves.
Guests indulged in the finest foods, wines and champagne. Some of the fare did not impress those with a more traditional taste, although they were also catered for.
“There was a fish which I could not stomach, so I chose to eat traditional food. Overall the food was very tasty,” a guest told The Mercury.
An open bar with a wide selection of liquor – including Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Moët and Dom Perignon champagne, Remy Martin cognac and a big selection of wine – flowed while guests listened to speeches and soothing music by the likes of Muntu and Umlazi gospel group Ithemba.
While the media was barred from the festivities – except for a short photo opportunity negotiated by journalists camped outside Lynton Hall – it is said that Top Billing and You magazine paid for the rights to broadcast and publish the couple’s big day.