‘Mother of all parties’ for Zuma wedding

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Jacob Zuma with his daughter Duduzile.

A convoy of 12 Lamborghinis will roar their way into Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve, 25km outside East London, for the wedding of President Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile, tomorrow morning.

The supercars will carry the first daughter, her groom, Lonwabo Sambudla, and people in their entourage.

Details of the highly anticipated nuptials have been kept under wraps, but it is believed that a marquee has been erected at the lodge to host VIP guests and close family.

Duduzile, who runs the Duduzile Zuma Foundation for Children and Destitute Women, will wear a gown thought to have been bought at the Paris Fashion Week.

Thousands of socialites, businessmen, politicians and members of royal families are expected to descend on the Eastern Cape for a series of festivities celebrating what has been dubbed the “royal wedding” of South Africa.

Zuma, 28, and businessman Sambudla, 31, will tie the knot in a special Hollywood-style wedding organised by Farah Fortune, who said the couple would not allow the media to be part of it.

The formal ceremony would be preceded by a pre-party and topped with a traditional wedding at Fairfield Trust Farm, Sambudla’s home village, and an after-party at the Walter Sisulu University’s sports grounds.

Sleeping arrangements for guests in Fairfield have been made at schools and neighbours’ homes.

The after-party would feature Durban Kwaito group Big Nuz, DJ Fisherman, DJ Fistaz Lvovo, Winnie Khumalo and DJ Tumza in a mini-festival organised by “Sushi King” Kenny Kunene.

Club owner Kunene promised “the mother of all parties”. He said the pre-party would be at a club where he would treat guests to expensive drinks. “There will be no sushi. The groom and bride have asked that no sushi should be served,” he said.

At the groom’s home at Fairfield, a group of women were sieving samp yesterday, while others were baking in the Sambundlas’ kitchen. The groom’s mother would only say that she was excited and had been “very busy”.

Finishing touches were being put to a newly built thatched rondavel, which was being prepared for the groom and bride.

Tractors flattened the entrance to Fairfield while men cut grass in preparation for a tent to be put up for a traditional ceremony.

Eastern Cape police Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said that security had been beefed up to welcome the president and ministers who would be attending the wedding. - The Mercury