AGIZA HLONGWANE
President Jacob Zuma’s daughter Duduzile walked down the aisle yesterday with businessman Lonwabo Sambudla at the Nkwenkwezi Private Reserve in East London. The wedding had a distinctly Durban flavour and guests were in awe as father and daughter arrived by rickshaw.
Dudu, 28, wore a silver gown encrusted with Swarovski crystals, which she bought overseas, and a pair of silver Christian Louboutin shoes.
The couple announced their engagement last September.
As the rickshaw approached the garden where the guests were waiting, Dudu’s twin brother, multimillionaire Duduzane, followed. Zuma later gave his daughter’s hand in marriage to Sambudla, the controversial former chief executive of an ANC Youth League financial arm, Lembede Investment Holdings.
Flashy cars, police sirens and blue lights were in evidence, as were political bigwigs, business heavyweights, serial BEE dealmakers, socialites and wannabes.
“Sushi King” Kenny Kunene was among the last guests to arrive and stole the show in a black Lamborghini.
The wedding took place amid tight security, with the media barred from entry.
Security guards and wedding organisers had their hands full trying to ensure the 650 guests had wedding invitations and that their names were on the list.
The guest list included Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe, Science and Technology counterpart Naledi Pandor and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela.
The Zuma wedding threw parts of East London and Mthatha into party mode, with Kunene taking centre stage as the organiser.
The celebrations reportedly cost more than R3 million.
Today’s traditional wedding in the village of Sambundla, at Fairfield Trust Farm, will be followed by an after-party at the Walter Sisulu University Unitra sports grounds in Mthatha.
Yesterday’s formal wedding came after a “pre-party” on Friday night at Kunene’s ZAR club in East London.
On Thursday, Kunene flew guests from Joburg to Cape Town in two private jets and then back.
In typically over-the-top style, there was the licking of champagne off the bodies of two lissome, bikini-clad women in a champagne-filled bath. Rose petals and strawberries were thrown over their breasts.