via Dream honeymoon holidays for Bona, Simba | The Herald March 3, 2014 by Linda Muriro
Two honeymoon packages, local and international, have been lined up for Simba and Bona Chikore, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi revealed yesterday. Minister Mzembi said the packages were gifts from him, his wife, staff and the ZimbabweTourism Authority (ZTA) with the assistance of the minister’s counterpart from the Seychelles, Mr Alain St Ange.
The minister said the two offers remained open given that the couple likely had other plans for their honeymoon.
“I negotiated with the government of Seychelles about four months ago on the honeymoon trip for the couple and my counterpart from Seychelles Mr Ange finally came through on Friday morning with the bouquet. The bouquet includes six nights and seven days at two of Seychelles’ most luxurious resorts,” he said.
The other package includes four days and three nights at a resort in Gonarezhou, Pamushana.
“I am not sure whether they will make this (the Seychelles trip) their main honeymoon. I’m sure they had made other arrangements so this offer is valid from the 1st of March to the 31st of December this year,” the minister said.
The Seychelles government offered full board – bed, breakfast, lunch, supper and all activities – for the couple’s seven-day stay at the exotic destination, along with their accompanying party.
The ZTA will facilitate travel arrangements.
They should have considered a local honeymoon safari outfitter.
The Seychelles are a group of islands off Africa’s southeastern coast on the Indian Ocean. It is one of the world’s top tourist destinations, endowed with coral beaches, wildlife and other natural attractions.
“In the spirit of promoting local tourism we then also added a trip to Pamushana in Gonarezhou to the cocktail,” Minister Mzembi added.
Pamushana Resort was host to international pop superstar Shakira when she visited Zimbabwe ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which was hosted by South Africa in 2010.
Simba and Bona Chikore exchanged vows at a colourful ceremony witnessed by more than 4 000 guests, who included Heads of State and Government, diplomats, cabinet ministers, church leaders and other VVIPs.
Couples held hands lovingly during the solemnisation ceremony, which elicited much goodwill as the newly weds exchanged words of affection on national TV.
Guests were ferried to the venue by shuttle buses from Heritage School and were received by security personnel at the gates who did not dampen spirits through vigorous searches.
Although thorough, the security officers were swift, dispelling any preconceived notions that guests were in for a rough exprience.
From the gates, guests were assisted by smartly dressed ushers in black uniforms and satin scarfs to a bar at the open reception area.
Stools there were covered in white linen under Zimbrellas (mini tents), with guests sipping beverages and chatting while they waited for official proceedings to begin.
Zimbabwe’s wedding of the year was as elegant as could be expected, and guests were dressed for the ocassion.
The men largely went for black three-pieces and tuxedos, while the ladies looked splendid in dresses accessorised with imaginative headgear befitting an A-list event.
Prominent religious leader Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa was as slick as always in a grey slim-fit suit, and former Central Bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono shone in a black tuxedo.
Minister Mzembi, another dapper dresser, said he bought his waistcoat “in France for the occasion” while his suit was by an “Italian designer.”
From the bar area, guests walked down a red carpet to the main platform where the official ceremony took place in huge tents with white drapes fused with different shades of purple and dotted with chiavari chairs.
The belle of the ball arrived in a silver-top Rolls Royce accompanied by her parents, who were in the imposing Zim 1 Mercedes-Benz. It was as majestic an arrival as warranted the day.
The bride was resplendent as she walked down the aisle in an elegant white-beaded gown and a flowing train.
After the ceremony, guests moved to another high-pitched tent illuminated with chandeliers and fairylights.
COMMENTS
I’m guessing they plan never to work again
The whole thing sounds like a British royal wedding – red carpets and open Rolls Royce and everything else. Why, couldn’t we indigenise just one thing?
Even Mzembi imported a waistcoat from our enemies in the west.
Question Mzembi. ..how do you promote local tourism by donating a holiday to an indigenous couple? You mean you expect tourists will flock to Pamushana because Simba and Bona will have gone there for free?
For information, most of the elegants suits come from China who happen to be friends of Zimbabwe. Even the British get their best clothes from China. When were you last in Europe? Please wake up. Clothes in most of the European and American shops are all MADE IN CHINA. Please move with time. Colonial mind yakugripper mwana we. Muka.
I believe that we, the taxpayers, have paid for their honeymoon, and not at all Minister Mbezi and his wife, and the staff of ZTA.
Kana uchiti we the tax payer unoreveyi? Uchiri tax payer iwe usisiri pabasa. Nhasi kunemployment rate ye 99%. Mangwana all companies have closed. Saka aritax payer ndiyani iko kusina mabasa ne macompany acho.
You know what you are letting us down. You mean your education is just doing criticism and nothing else. Zvese its negative. Zvese its criticism. Kushaya nezvakanaka. Zvese its all bad. Please check yourself, you can go mad if you allow nagativity to rule your life. Ma donations ana Rawlands, nana Equitorial Guinee nana Kabila anobva kuma Tax payers e maZimbabwean. Wakaita forensic audit yema expenses emuchadho here and came up with exact figures and sources of those funds.
Iwe kwana. Muka kuhope.
You right Mapenga, all stolen money. You steal from me ,I celebrate watching you on telly spending the loot. Show sad.
Talking about stealing. I hope they checked the guests and loving couples pockets for cutlery as they were leaving! If not somebody will have to foot a large bill. The mind boggles
The saddest thing here is that zimbabweans just observe and do nothing while mugabe and zanupf squander their ill gotten wealth.
Do todays zimbabweans not think that if they do nothing this is exactly what their children are going to inherit and their childrens children.Surely you have a responsibility to your offspring.??????????????????????????
The staff at ZTA what???? if this is true then I am a Samurai Warrior.
The staff did NOT donate jack shyte
They didn not know and where certainly not consulted about it
Given a choice they would take the holiday themselves or take home a decent bonus
Lies lies lies
ENOUGH!
Zvinonetsa. It would have been nice if the Minister had donated even a quarter of that money to Masvingo flood disaster people and other areas affected. You should visit the Tokwe Mukorsi, it is really pathetic I tell you.
Now forget about the anticorruption talk by Mugabe. They made sure the gifts and presents for both the birthday and for the wedding will keep him mute until he goes to his grave. They used stolen gifts to silence the 9 year old boy. Now I see bob’s successor Simbona!
So much for the antiwest, anti-British stance. Honeymoon? Is there such a thing in Shona?
And this thing of making this wedding sound like a national state affair is really irritating – why is a state minister involved in all this?
Are they grooming this Simba tobe the next gukurahundi President? I shudder!!
To think another generation of mugabes is about to be born is frightening time to stop it?
This is always the case ngewule. They are not worried whether it is your last dollar in your pocket. They want it all, under any circumstances. Kalizekwe iwule. This her speciality.
Saka Simba atovewo pama travelling Sanction ka uyu ,akungotambira mudhuze mudhuze?.
Presidents come and go. A president’s child is not different from any other children in Zimbabwe. Many of our daughters and sons have wedded but no Minister ever thought of donating to their weddings. Mzembi you are trying to buy favours by using state money for self gain. You know what Mzembi, I don’t believe that you are from Masvingo. People who voted for you lost all they had to Tokwe Mukosi. As close as you are to the president, you should know that the Tokwe Mukosi situation was declared a national disaster. I am not aware when weddings were declared national events. Forget about 2018 because you are like a horse scratched from the race.
Lucy, Mthwakazi and Patriotic I salute you. You hit the nail on the head- frank and to the point. Indeed the simba-bona wedding was out of Zimbabwe in everything and much of a borrowed culture. Too lavish by any standard. Two million of our people are starving yet the first family has money to throw away like chiken feed. Civil servants have not been paid for months. Wake up from slumber Zimbabweans.
” Let them eat cake!!!” the French Marie Antoinette said when she was told “The peasants have no bread” Everyone knows that Marie Antoinette went to the gallows during the French revolution years ago. We have our modern Marie Antoinettes in Zimbabwe today. The people in Towke Makosi are suffering a catastrophe in addition to the general hardships faced by Zimbabweans. We don’t hear anyone of these ministers and hangers-on appealing for donations for the people who have nothing. Yet they can boast about a jacket from France, suit by Italian designer, Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz, caterers from South Africa, honeymoon in Seychelles etc..The time of reckoning is coming…
It is all about them. If he spent four months negotiating with the Seychelles as he says, he has not done a piece of work for the nation. If he knew four months ago she was getting married he was told “leave what you are doing and sort this out.” This makes him part and parcel of Cuthbert and co. Four months he was paid by the taxpayer to arrange a honeymoon. He should of spent the time negotiating aid for the suffering people.
Who says stealing does not pay? The descendents of those who steal are rewarded. A luta continua! This is Africa.
Ukraine, Egyot, Libya, isn’t it time Zimbabwe!
Mthwakazi: is there anything called honeymoon in Shona!! Lol! Uyahlanya wena! Agreed, this shuld hav been a private event.
Please let us leave these love birds alone, they hav found love n they deserve it, like we all do. This is not politics but love. Hav u run out of things to say!?Shame. being a President’s daughter is no crime!
If u want politics, lets talk politics n leave these lovers alone! By the way i heard MDC-B wil be launched soon. Lol!
Bayethe Mzilikazi!
Uhlanya uwena!!