Sikhonjwa pops the question

Bongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
COMEDIAN Babongile Sikhonjwa capped his 40th birthday train party on Saturday in style by asking his long time girlfriend, Nanji-Taswa Banda, for her hand in marriage, turning the occasion into an engagement party. Sikhonjwa showed off his romantic side while everyone was singing happy birthday to him during the cutting of the cake ceremony at Redwood Leisure Centre.

He stopped proceedings, got down on his knees and asked Banda for her hand in marriage, and she said “YES!” The about 200 people who made the train journey greeted the news with applause and congratulated the couple, and in the euphoria they forgot to cut the cake.

Although no wedding date has been set, Sikhonjwa said it was high time he settled down. “I’m now 40 and I think it’s about time I settled down. I have had a child with my fiancé and we’ve been together for the past six years, it was long overdue,” he said.

Sikhonjwa said plans were underway to send a delegation to his fiancé’s home to negotiate the bride price. “As my father said, we have the cattle. Soon we shall be going there to negotiate for lobola. After that plans will be underway to organise the wedding,” he said.

His fiancé, Banda, said she was as equally pleasantly surprised with Sikhonjwa’s proposal like everyone else at the party. “Every year when the cutting of the cake happens, I go and help him. I didn’t think that he’d propose. I was shocked and also nervous when he got down on his knees and asked for my hand in marriage,” said Banda.

“It’s been six years and I’ve been dropping hints here and there. It’s all in good time and babes (Sikhonjwa) you’ve made me the happiest woman alive. “I can talk forever about him and how I admire him as a person, father and businessman.”

As proceedings got underway ahead of the train party, the normally quiet railway station was woken up from its slumber as party lovers gathered from 1PM to catch a ride to Figtree and merry make on the train.

Notable persons there were fellow comedian Clive Chigubhu, Sandra Ndebele-Sibindi, former Miss Zimbabwe Samantha Tshuma, style icon Welshman Sibanda, modelling guru Sarah Mpofu, DJs Kananjo, Liz, Slamma, Nospa, Kead Wikead, Keezy and Slimza.

As the passengers got on board the six coach train armed with cooler boxes with varying amounts and types of alcoholic beverages, they were in high spirits even before the music was switched on.

There was a two-hour delay in leaving Bulawayo for Figtree as the train left the station at 4PM instead of 2PM as previously advertised. When the train’s horn blared and the locomotive started moving, revellers cheered while the dance coach was the nerve centre of the train party with DJs Nospa, Kead Wikead, Slamma on their A game on the decks.

In the other coaches where people were sitting, they were drinking the day away excited by the journey on the train en-route to Figtree. The train stopped at Figtree Train Station and revellers disembarked and walked about 1km to leisure spot Redwood which was the secret location.

Speeches, the cutting of the cake, eating of food and the marriage proposal were done there. Well into the evening, revellers got back into the train heading back to Bulawayo and started partying celebrating Sikhonjwa and Banda’s engagement.

The comedian took to the decks and played old school hip hop, mbaqanga and kwaito tracks. Rappers ASAPH and Guluva 7 performed during the train ride back and got people singing along to their songs, Why won’t you act like you know and Umanqoba respectively.

When the train got to the station in the city, revellers did not want to disembark and were given 20 minutes to party the night away. Thereafter they made their way to Casino Bar next to Club Eden to finish off the celebration.

“This train ride was something that was needed in Bulawayo to spice up the city’s entertainment scene. It was too monotonous and boring on weekends just to do the same thing every time. I was excited to take the journey to Figtree while partying on a train,” said George Gumbo after disembarking.