Langalakhe Mabena
FROM childhood sweethearts in eNtumbane, Bulawayo, to husband and wife — award-winning musician Bhila has finally found his forever duet partner!
The musician, born Patriach Welcome Joel Manyabi, has officially kissed bachelorhood goodbye after tying the knot with his longtime sweetheart, Nokuthula Ngwenya, in a glamorous wedding ceremony in South Africa.
The lovebirds exchanged vows at Protea Ridge, Northriding, on November 1, turning years of childhood friendship and romance into a lifetime commitment.
It was a celebration filled with love, culture, music and glitz, with some of Bulawayo’s popular socialites, including Joyful Ncube, Butholezwe Ntini and Novuyo Seagirl, among those who witnessed the couple’s big day. The trio also added to the festivities with performances at the wedding.
Speaking to B-Metro, the newlywed said he felt the time was right to settle down, marry his sweetheart and start a family.
But beneath the glamour, designer outfits and celebrations was a union Bhila said had been built on faith, family blessings and respect for tradition.
The musician said he deliberately followed traditional customs (Isintu) and the marriage rites of his church, Guta RaMwari, because he believes marriage requires prayer, commitment and spiritual preparation.
“We are taught in Guta RaMwari that you start praying for your marriage at a very young age. When you are married, you are taught to pray together all the time. Ever wondered why? Because marriage is not easy. Hence, it is always under attack.
“Nowadays, it feels so scary having your wedding covered by newspapers because it gives the public room to analyse or judge. This fear comes from a number of attempts that have been attacking the marriage institution.
“My wedding was not my doing, but God’s grace and love. A wedding is not just a party. It’s a celebration of two families becoming one, with God in the middle,” he said.
For Bhila, the journey to the altar was not a matter of simply putting on a suit and exchanging rings.
He said every traditional marriage procedure had a purpose, teaching patience, respect and commitment.
“In our culture, we don’t just wake up and marry. There are steps one has to follow so as to get blessings from God. These steps, frustrating as they are, teach you patience, respect and give you time to fully come into your senses and decide without pressure whether you surely want to proceed.
“Following all these steps is a simple way of asking for God’s love and protection in your marriage,” he said.
The journey began on January 3, when Bhila travelled with his uncles to Tjehanga in Plumtree to formally approach the Ngwenya family and seek permission to marry their daughter.
“I went with my uncles to her family to tell them I had seen their daughter and wanted to marry her in a respectful way. In Guta RaMwari, we are taught that you don’t do things in the dark, you go through the parents and through prayer. The journey began on January 3 when we travelled to
Tjehanga, Plumtree, to ask for permission and to know the bride price,” he said.
After receiving the family’s blessings and following the lobola procedures, the couple had their civil wedding before proceeding to Guta RaMwari for a church blessing, in line with the church’s teachings.
Bhila said the church had played a central role in preparing them for married life, teaching them fidelity, prayer and how to navigate challenges together.
“Guta RaMwari is my life. After the court wedding, as per God’s standing orders that one has to fulfil the laws of the country by marrying legally, we then proceeded to my place of worship for the wedding blessing.
“Here we were taught to keep ourselves clean, to respect marriage, to not have two wives, to love one wife. They taught us how to pray together, how to handle problems without divorce and how to build a home that respects God,” he said.
While the white wedding brought the glamour and gave friends and family an opportunity to celebrate, Bhila said the deeper meaning of their marriage had already been established through the traditional and religious proceedings.
“That white dress, that suit — that was just the celebration. The real marriage had already happened at home with the families and at my place of worship.
“My wedding means that I am now a man. I am not just Bhila the musician. I am a husband. This means I must stop my old life, I must be faithful, I must work hard for my family and I must make my wife happy.
“This wedding means I have closed the door to street life and opened a door to being a father and a leader. I pray for a happy marriage forever,” he said.
And just like that, the man who has serenaded fans with his music has found someone to sing the chorus of his life with — for better, for worse and for all the duets in between!
