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Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Correspondent

ROYALTY touched down in Bulawayo at KaMandazi’s restaurant as Ndebele Queen from South Africa Sekhothali Mabhena passed by the exquisite traditional food outlet between 8th Avenue and Robert Mugabe Way in Bulawayo.

This served as a detour for the Ndebele Queen enroute to Matopo for the Umtshado Ka Mbulumakhasane fashion exhibition by local fashion designer and founder of Ganu Designs, Nkanyezi Malunga.

Owner of KaMandazi restaurants, Flattela “MaNdazi” Nleya hosted the queen from South Africa and felt honoured to have achieved such a feat to be in the presence of royalty.

Flattela “MaNdazi” Nleya

The journey from South Africa to Zimbabwe is a long one and to satiate and quench a royal hunger and thirst, KaMandazi tickled the queen and her entourage’s tastebuds with a treat of her gastronomic traditional food.

Festivities included a taste of the African cuisine which included isitshwala, tripe and chicken just to name a few as MaNdazi went all out to make sure that the Queen’s tastebuds were given a treat.

In attendance were revelers of the place as well as saxophonist Vuyile Qongo aka Vuyi Sax to serenade the entourage which consists of the queen’s bodyguard Miss Granny Thubane and her abakhaphi.

Vuyi Sax

Her royal Highness, the queen was elated to be in the City of Kings and Queens.

“The journey was OK and we are elated to be here. The food is great and everything is good, save for the weather. The heat is too much. We are raring to go and attend the exhibition tomorrow, “chuckled the queen’s bodyguard.

Umtshado Ka Mbulumakhasane is a hybrid Fashion Exhibition born out of a need by Nkanyeziyethu Malunga, to integrate the efforts and innovation of women in the rural areas with those in the urban environment. This idea came out of the efforts to create a platform for women in these two environments, to exhibit and share their skills, their cultural beauty and the knowledge systems.

“Umtshado Ka Mbulumakhasane seeks to celebrate women from all walks of life. It at least tries to represent how blended Zimbabwean culture is,” said Nkanyeziyethu Malunga, Director & Designer at GANU.

Tomorrow, it will be all systems go for the exhibition which will be held away from hustles and bustles of city life as it’s all about rural women. – @eMKlass_49