News / National
Bona Mugabe wedding-Billionaire guest raise eyebrows
10 Mar 2014 at 16:31hrs | Views
Motsepe greets Zambian first family at Bona's wedding - Picture from Lusaka Times
President Robert Mugabe used his quota of invitations to his daughter, Bona's wedding to invite a string of wealthy friends and benefactors, including South Africa's richest black man - mining magnate Patrice Motsepe.
The invite to Motsepe, who has a net worth of $2,7bn, according to Forbes' rich list estimates, raised eyebrows with top government officials saying the wealthy businessman was targeting investments in Zimbabwe.
In Zimbabwe, no foreign investor can get huge mining concessions without Mugabe's signature, and Motsepe who is said to be eyeing the lucrative coal and platinum mining was seen sitting among the most important guests at the wedding in the VVIP enclosure where presidents and former presidents were seated.
On Mugabe's guest list for the wedding of his only daughter Bona, 24, who wed pilot Simbarashe Chikore, 38, was South African tycoon and Soweto-born Motsepe, a lawyer by training and South Africa's first and only black billionaire.
In line with most modern weddings, Mugabe, as father of the bride, was allowed to nominate a group of friends for the ceremony as well as the champagne and canape reception afterwards at the first family's plush and expensively-built Borrowdale Brook home on Saturday.
The event was beamed live on State TV, until at least after the vows, with the private media barred from the event.
The relationship between the Mugabes and Motsepe dates back to 2009, when the tycoon, through his publicly-traded mining conglomerate African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) which has interests in platinum, gold, coal and other minerals; was scouting for mining deals in Zimbabwe.
Motsepe wants to set up ARM in Zimbabwe, and was mulling pumping $300 million to mine the southern African country's vast coal and platinum resources.
Zimbabwe has the second-largest platinum deposits in the world after South Africa, and abundant reserves of gold, platinum, coal, diamonds, nickel, iron ore, copper and coal-bed methane, remain largely untapped.
While Motsepe was not taking calls from the Daily News last night or returning messages left on his voice mail, David Simelane, ARM's business development manager, recently said "we are prepared to invest in Zimbabwe's mining sector and are willing to inject not less than $300 million for mining activities as soon as a consensus with the ministry (of Mines) is reached."
The wedding's guest list made eye-catching reading, apparently crammed with "mega-rich" foreigners, among them presidents of South Africa, Zambia and Equatorial Guinea and a couple of former leaders, among them Jerry Rawlings of Ghana who counts the Mugabes among his acquaintances.
Motsepe, who jetted into Harare ahead of President Jacob Zuma, has a "keen interest" in Zimbabwe's abundant minerals, and in 2009 led a 22-member South African business delegation to Harare to explore opportunities and signed an investment guarantee with government officials.
The team met Mugabe at State House and expressed interest in mining, banking, construction, retail and textile firms in Zimbabwe.
Some South African observers said Motsepe was part of the Zuma delegation since the South African president had snubbed a Nelson Mandela function to attend Bona's wedding.
Motsepe, who also owns Pretoria-based football club Mamelodi Sundowns, one of SA's biggest soccer teams since 2003, has lavished massive sums on good cause, earning himself and his wife, Precious - a style icon who is also a medical doctor - a place in South Africa's high society.
Motsepe, a black economic empowerment beneficiary, is reportedly playing a large part in Zimbabwe's indigenisation effort and was on "very cordial" speaking terms with Mugabe, according to officials familiar with their relationship.
While Motsepe, a fabulously rich philanthropist's presence at the nuptials was a major talking point, there was deepening mystery over $100 000 donated to the newly-weds by an unnamed company.
While the couple was feted with presents, many of those who donated to the so-called "Royal Wedding" have chosen to keep their presents a secret.
The Motsepes' links with the Mugabe family particularly raised eyebrows because they were not perceived as friends.
Insiders said in return for the immensely lucrative mining business, Motsepe was eyeing investment deals and has achieved the ultimate product placement - a seat at the wedding ceremony for the Mugabes.
"It's a breakthrough for him," said a government official who declined to be named citing the sensitivities of the matter.
Motsepe was said to have stayed briefly for the champagne-fuelled all-night party the Mugabes threw for the mega-rich guests, which was spiced up with performances by Zahara, the Soweto String Quartet, Congolese rhumba superstar Koffi Olomide and local stars Jah Prayzah and Suluman Chimbetu.
Insiders described it as a "near-feudal gesture of appreciation" to the Motsepes.
Motsepe, who was in the VVIP tent, was rubbing shoulders at the wedding with top executives, including tycoon Ihmad Ahmed who donated $50 000 to the newly-weds, and occupants of foreign thrones.
Critics said from this guest list arises a whiff of something a little more pungent than the rose petals strewn at the bridal feet.
The invite to Motsepe, who has a net worth of $2,7bn, according to Forbes' rich list estimates, raised eyebrows with top government officials saying the wealthy businessman was targeting investments in Zimbabwe.
In Zimbabwe, no foreign investor can get huge mining concessions without Mugabe's signature, and Motsepe who is said to be eyeing the lucrative coal and platinum mining was seen sitting among the most important guests at the wedding in the VVIP enclosure where presidents and former presidents were seated.
On Mugabe's guest list for the wedding of his only daughter Bona, 24, who wed pilot Simbarashe Chikore, 38, was South African tycoon and Soweto-born Motsepe, a lawyer by training and South Africa's first and only black billionaire.
In line with most modern weddings, Mugabe, as father of the bride, was allowed to nominate a group of friends for the ceremony as well as the champagne and canape reception afterwards at the first family's plush and expensively-built Borrowdale Brook home on Saturday.
The event was beamed live on State TV, until at least after the vows, with the private media barred from the event.
The relationship between the Mugabes and Motsepe dates back to 2009, when the tycoon, through his publicly-traded mining conglomerate African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) which has interests in platinum, gold, coal and other minerals; was scouting for mining deals in Zimbabwe.
Motsepe wants to set up ARM in Zimbabwe, and was mulling pumping $300 million to mine the southern African country's vast coal and platinum resources.
Zimbabwe has the second-largest platinum deposits in the world after South Africa, and abundant reserves of gold, platinum, coal, diamonds, nickel, iron ore, copper and coal-bed methane, remain largely untapped.
While Motsepe was not taking calls from the Daily News last night or returning messages left on his voice mail, David Simelane, ARM's business development manager, recently said "we are prepared to invest in Zimbabwe's mining sector and are willing to inject not less than $300 million for mining activities as soon as a consensus with the ministry (of Mines) is reached."
The wedding's guest list made eye-catching reading, apparently crammed with "mega-rich" foreigners, among them presidents of South Africa, Zambia and Equatorial Guinea and a couple of former leaders, among them Jerry Rawlings of Ghana who counts the Mugabes among his acquaintances.
Motsepe, who jetted into Harare ahead of President Jacob Zuma, has a "keen interest" in Zimbabwe's abundant minerals, and in 2009 led a 22-member South African business delegation to Harare to explore opportunities and signed an investment guarantee with government officials.
Some South African observers said Motsepe was part of the Zuma delegation since the South African president had snubbed a Nelson Mandela function to attend Bona's wedding.
Motsepe, who also owns Pretoria-based football club Mamelodi Sundowns, one of SA's biggest soccer teams since 2003, has lavished massive sums on good cause, earning himself and his wife, Precious - a style icon who is also a medical doctor - a place in South Africa's high society.
Motsepe, a black economic empowerment beneficiary, is reportedly playing a large part in Zimbabwe's indigenisation effort and was on "very cordial" speaking terms with Mugabe, according to officials familiar with their relationship.
While Motsepe, a fabulously rich philanthropist's presence at the nuptials was a major talking point, there was deepening mystery over $100 000 donated to the newly-weds by an unnamed company.
While the couple was feted with presents, many of those who donated to the so-called "Royal Wedding" have chosen to keep their presents a secret.
The Motsepes' links with the Mugabe family particularly raised eyebrows because they were not perceived as friends.
Insiders said in return for the immensely lucrative mining business, Motsepe was eyeing investment deals and has achieved the ultimate product placement - a seat at the wedding ceremony for the Mugabes.
"It's a breakthrough for him," said a government official who declined to be named citing the sensitivities of the matter.
Motsepe was said to have stayed briefly for the champagne-fuelled all-night party the Mugabes threw for the mega-rich guests, which was spiced up with performances by Zahara, the Soweto String Quartet, Congolese rhumba superstar Koffi Olomide and local stars Jah Prayzah and Suluman Chimbetu.
Insiders described it as a "near-feudal gesture of appreciation" to the Motsepes.
Motsepe, who was in the VVIP tent, was rubbing shoulders at the wedding with top executives, including tycoon Ihmad Ahmed who donated $50 000 to the newly-weds, and occupants of foreign thrones.
Critics said from this guest list arises a whiff of something a little more pungent than the rose petals strewn at the bridal feet.
Source - dailynews
