Tsitsi Ndabambi
The much anticipated glamourous reopening of Garwe restaurant which drew a lot of attention after being advertised that multi-talented musician, dancer and actress Kelly Khumalo cancelled travelling to Harare for the Garwe Restaurant reopening.
Kelly had happily announced on a social media platform that she was happily going to replace socialite and television star Somizi Buyani Mhlongo-Motaung who was blocked by conservative Zimbabweans for his sexual orientation. This included the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) and the Zanu-PF Youth League that voiced their disapproval of him entering the country.
Sources close to Kelly Khumalo quickly conveyed the message that she abandoned her 4pm flight for Harare in solidarity with her “brother” Somizi just two hours before Garwe Restaurant had rolled their restaurant to their guests who had parted with USD$50 entry fee for the dinner and especially to rub shoulders with the South African superstar.
Somizi who attracts a big audience globally with his cooking show “Dinner at Somizi’s” expressed his displeasure for the sudden cancellation through a live video on Instagram and later made an appearance at an event in Namibia where he was booked leaving a text which quotes, “God works in mysterious ways.”
However the event went on in the absence of Kelly Khumalo, the Garwe guests who had paid USD $50 to rub shoulders with the South African superstar indeed had prepared and walked the red carpet dressed for the occasion. The restaurant owner Mandy Mvukwe-Chimhini and more than ten women in the audience all wore designer Coco Couture by Tapfuma Munengwa.
They walked in to the freshly revamped 200 seater eating area to the harmonic sound of Jose the saxophonist and In Total Band with some who had travelled from as far as Bulawayo just to partake of part of the promised fine dining.
In the VIP guest section were the guest of honor South Africa based Prophet Evidence Chari and his wife Anesu Chari. Before their arrival there were a number of speeches by Chamu Chiwanza, George Billionare, Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe
