PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s daughter Bona is now married, NewsDay has learnt.
JOHN NYASHANU
A close family member, Zanu PF Uzumba MP-elect Simbaneuta Mudarikwa, confirmed the development to NewsDay yesterday saying the First Family’s 24-year-old first-born child was customarily married on Sunday, August 4, at a traditional ceremony held at Mugabe’s rural home in Zvimba.
Mudarikwa said a wedding ceremony for Bona was scheduled for later this year, but declined to disclose the identity of Mugabe’s son-in-law.
However, other close family members who spoke on condition of anonymity said Bona’s husband was a Zimbabwean pilot working for an international airline, United Arab Emirates.
“All went on well and we are all very excited as a family about this development,” said Mudarikwa.
Pressed to divulge the identity of the President’s son-in-law, Mudarikwa said: “You just wait for the wedding invitation cards which should be sent out before the end of the year.”
Two other close family members who requested anonymity confirmed Bona’s marriage.
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“The issue was raised at a recent family meeting where the First Family revealed that Bona was to be married and that a date had been set. The event was held on Sunday last week and I understand things went well,” said the source.
Another family member added: “Though I was not invited, I understand she (Bona) was married last weekend. After I got wind of it, I phoned my brother who confirmed that indeed the ceremony took place and I was the only one in the dark.”
It could, however, not be established how much bride price Bona’s husband paid.
The First Couple has three children: Bona, Robert Junior and Chatunga Bellarmine.
Early this year, Mugabe told SABC’s Dali Tambo in an interview that Bona was “very obedient” and “absolutely trustworthy” unlike his third child Chatunga whom he said: “. . . has not made me happy in the way he takes to his studies. He should be more serious than he is at the moment.”
Mugabe in the interview said his preferred son-in-law had to be someone who should love his daughter through thick and thin.
“. . . it must be a person of her own choice. My hope would be first, qualities of a good husband will live with her, because he loves her through thick and thin and not just look at her now as she still is that flower, attractive, blooming.
“She will have kids and quite a lot of what is now the real charm will disappear and the face will start having wrinkles. So he should not pit her at that time against up-and-coming younger ones, which is what most people do and as a result we get lots of divorces.”
In 2011, Bona graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) in Accountancy degree from the University of Chan Tai Ho Hall in Hong Kong.
