‘We don’t have kids and we are ok’: The Carl and Nelsy Ncube love story defies odds

CARL Joshua Ncube is a celebrity chef and a shapeshifter par excellence. He is also a man who knows how to make a big announcement. And that’s what he did on December 10, 2010 when proposed to his long-time lover, Nelsy Ncube (formerly Mugadza), in front of a sold-out 7 Arts audience.

“In 2010 on the 10th of December, I stepped out on stage and changed the direction and trajectory of Zimbabwe stand-up comedy forever. But that’s not even the most amazing thing that happened that night. On that night I proposed to Nelsy Ncube in front of a sold out 7 Arts audience and she said yes. Happy anniversary Mrs Ncube,” he said.

Carl and Nelsy have been the “it couple’ in the precinct, something they have done for the past 13 years. They met when Nelsy was working for Crowne Plaza (now Monomotapa) and Carl was running the advertising agency TATU, which did all the advertising for African Sun. Carl said meeting Nelsy changed his life for the better.

“In hindsight, 13 years on, we have over-delivered on what we had intended to do,” he said.

The pair tied the knot in 2012, at a private beach called “Coco Cay” in the Bahamas, while Carl was on a Royal Caribbean Cruise ship that Nelsy was working on. Since then, they have been inseparable, except for a brief stint when Carl announced that they were divorcing in 2021 due to his deteriorating health and depression. However, they reconciled and renewed their vows later that year.

Carl and Nelsy have faced many challenges in their marriage, but they have overcome them together. One of the biggest challenges was their inability to have children, something that many people in society consider a taboo and a reason for divorce. However, Carl and Nelsy have chosen not to succumb to societal pressures and have embraced their childless status.

“Nelsy and I have been through many ups and downs, chief among them our inability to have children. Many people think it’s a ‘must’ for a married couple to have children and it’s wrong. We don’t have children and we are fine with that. We don’t care. It’s not a challenge for us and we are happy and we live by our rules. We don’t get influenced by people who don’t share our bedroom. Marriage is about the two involved, not the public,” shared Carl.

Carl said that they have a core business, their marriage, and that they are both employees and shareholders. They support each other’s dreams and passions and they have fun together. They are not afraid to be themselves and to defy the norms.

Carl, who is still recovering from cellulitis, a bacterial skin infection that left him unable to cook for a while, said he promised to try to cook for his wife this year. He said he has settled for a pig on a spot with a sticky Mazoe sauce, a dish that he hopes will please her.–@MbuleloMpofu