Former Miss Universe Tunzi heads home for traditional wedding

Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi returned to her rural home in the village of Sidwadweni, near Tsolo in the Eastern Cape, at the weekend for the second and third stages of her traditional wedding.

At the usually sleepy little village, flashy cars appeared as guests and villagers arrived in their numbers to witness Tunzi marry childhood sweetheart Luthando Bolowana, 41.

Tunzi and Bolowana were officially married at picturesque Cape winelands wedding venue the Belair Pavilion in Paarl on March 23.

On Friday, the newlyweds continued with the second leg of the wedding with a private ceremony at Tunzi’s home in Sidwadweni.

She wore the same white gown as in Belair, by Vietnamese designer Phan Huy, which featured hand-cut flowers, 3D branches and 14 types of beads and stones, for ukucanda inkundla, or returning to the homestead, according to the traditional custom. 

On Saturday, it was time for the third stage, a traditional ceremony to which the entire village is invited.

The groom wore traditional attire complete with beaded walking stick while the bride wore umbhaco, a traditional Xhosa dress and beadwork.

AmaMpondomise king Luzuko Zwelozuko Matiwane led a delegation of AmaMpondomise traditional leaders at the event.

Matiwane said he was proud that Tunzi was marrying a local man.

“She has raised her village flag high. Sidwadweni is only known in the world because of Zozibini,” he said.

Many were curious about the man Tunzi was marrying.

Bolowana, known by many as Sweetboy, holds an honours degree in business administration, is a businessman in the electrical engineering field. 

The families, villagers and the king were overjoyed that she had chosen to marry a man from her home village.

 “In isiXhosa they say intonga entle igawulwa ezizwe [the most beautiful fighting stick is found in foreign places], but Zozibini proves that this proverb is not always the case. She travelled to many countries, and stayed in New York, but her heart remained in Sidwadweni,” Bolowana’s uncle Mninawe Mazitshane said.

“She could have easily married a rich and powerful man, or a celebrity, but Zozi remained faithful to Sweetboy ... this is true love.”

Her father Lungisa Tunzi said he and Bolowana’s mother had grown up together in Sidwadweni and even went to the same school.

“My daughter believes in true love, not status, fame and wealth ... We are happy that she is marrying someone we know. We know his upbringing and family,” he said.

Before any lobola negotiations could begin, Lungisa had met Bolowana.

“I wanted him to assure me about his [reasons for wanting] to get married. I found him to be grounded, committed and disciplined.

“He knows what he wants. Because I knew him growing up and grew up with his mother, Luthando is [already] like our son.

“We hope they will continue to love, honour and respect each other,” Lungisa said.

Mazitshane said the fourth and final leg of the wedding celebrations would be a private ceremony during which Tunzi would be given her new name as a married woman.

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