HARARE - President Robert Mugabe’s daughter Bona and her husband Simba Chikore, who tied the knot at the First Family’s plush and expensively-built Borrowdale Brook home on Saturday, received a fortune that could run into millions from an A list of guests who attended their 18-hour long nuptials.
The Daily News was barred from covering the wedding allegedly at the behest of First Lady, Grace Mugabe, who reportedly was running the extravaganza’s preparations and the ceremony itself leaving the bride, Bona to do little.
So intense was Grace’s involvement in every aspect of the wedding that members of both the Chikore and Mugabe families, workers at the Mugabe mansion, friends and those in the government system jokingly saying that it was as if the First Lady was the one getting married.
Despite being barred from covering the mega-wedding, the Daily News still managed to sniff some details from the ceremony attended by 5 000 people.
With the guests having been seated by 12pm, it meant they had to endure long hours waiting for Mugabe to deliver his speech.
The 90-year-old, who spoke for about 2 hours and five minutes in a speech which lasted from Saturday before midnight to the early hours of yesterday morning where he chronicled his daughter’s journey to womanhood.
But all eyes and ears were on the gifts Bona was to receive but many people were left disappointed because most rich people, ministers and businessmen preferred not to have their presents announced.
But Mugabe’s presents were announced and he gave the newly-weds $100 000 and 50 head of cattle, meaning Bona and Simba will soon get a farm, if they do not already own one.
The Daily News also understands that Bona and his husband were blessed with a house in the Borrowdale area but this was not publicly announced.
Estimates put the amount of money that Bona received from kowtowing politicians, the corporate world, family and friends at around $3 million but the figure could be much higher given that filthy-rich businessmen and wealthy ministers decided against making their gifts public.
South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe was also in attendance and again his gift was not made public.
But insiders at the wedding told the Daily News besides huge amounts of cash given as gifts by businessmen and ministers, the newly-weds also received cars, houses and expensive furniture.
An impressive guest list that included Zambian President Michael Sata, South Africa’s leader Jacob Zuma and Equatorial Guinea strongman Teodoro Nguema also contributed handsomely in gifts to the couple.
Nguema, who was served from a coup by Mugabe in 2004, handed the couple a cool $30 000 dollars while Zimbabwe’s diplomats also dug deep in their pockets to contribute $9 000 to the overnight famous couple.
The majority among the estimated 5 000 guests, were the well-heeled in society, who included pop stars and Democratic Republic of Congo rhumba music superstar, Kofi Olomide.
Amid the glitz, glamour and tight security, businesses keen on currying favour with the nonagenarian leader, in power since 1980, also made huge contributions in gifts.
Dubbed by Mugabe’s praise singers as the “Wedding of the Century”, and fitting in good measure the description because of the amount of money and effort that was put by the First Lady into organising the event, the wedding also offered a podium to Mugabe’s bootlickers to demonstrate loyalty through over-the-top gifts.
Sources told the Daily News yesterday that it was not only the First Family that paid up for the splendorous wedding, but also top government officials also made “huge contributions” to ensure a smooth and successful wedding.
But there was a flip side. Some guests went home with rumbling stomachs because of the chaos around the buffet and sagging tables especially at tents where “less important” guests were being served.
In a strange arrangement, the wedding ceremony was almost turned into a State function where people of “lesser importance” were given yellow tags while those in the VVIPs were served in the VIP tents.
Security personnel were busy ensuring the discrimination by ensuring those with yellow tags would not cross over to where those in the VIP were seated, yet traditionally weddings are for everyone to mix and mingle despite their standing in society.
While food and drinks were by no means in short supply, the arrangement to serve food was poor.