The Tshilamba township came to a near standstill on Saturday afternoon (1 April), when a newly married couple came driving down the street in a somewhat uncommon fashion (for modern times) during their wedding ceremony. The lovebirds, Awelani Nefale from Vondwe village and Livhuwani Madzonga from Tshandama village, made their grand entrance to the township in a well-decorated donkey cart amid ululations and jubilations from passers-by.
The coachman (driver of a horse/donkey-drawn carriage), who happened to be a woman, was also whistling, but in her case she did so to keep the three donkeys in check. She stole the show for a moment when she parked the donkey cart like a professional truck driver parking a big truck at the entrance of the complex. On arrival at the complex, the bride and groom were whisked away into a brand-new white German sedan.
Amid the high divorce rate and killings among married couples in the country today, and in the Vhembe District in particular, seeing such a crowd-catching wedding ceremony was indeed a refreshing sight. On this, Nefale (groom) remarked that now was the perfect time for those who were truly in love to show the world that, if you asked God to guide you in your marriage, nothing could stand in the way of your married life together.
"Marriage has been created by God for a man and a woman to live happily together, forever. With God on our side, our love and marriage will stand the test of time," Nefale said. He added that, after five years of dating his lovely wife, he felt the time had come to make her his queen for life.
The blushing bride, who was smiling from ear to ear the entire time, thanked God that she could finally be called Mrs Nefale. "I am so happy to finally be married to such a handsome and God-loving man. God, I will always praise You for guiding me all the way to this big day in my life," she said.