ZIMBABWE: PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE MARRIES HIS FORMER SECRETARY GRACE MARUFU AT A WEDDING ATTENDED BY 15 THOUSAND PEOPLE

Record ID: 222610

  • Title: ZIMBABWE: PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE MARRIES HIS FORMER SECRETARY GRACE MARUFU AT A WEDDING ATTENDED BY 15 THOUSAND PEOPLE
  • Date: 17th August 1996
  • Summary: ZVIMBA, ZIMBABWE (AUGUST 17, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1.GV/SV ZIMBABWE PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE AND HIS BEST MAN JOAQUIM CHISSANO WALKING IN CROWD OUTSIDE CHURCH 0.12 2.SV HIS BRIDE-TO-BE GRACE MARUFU ARRIVING AND WALKING ALONG RED CARPET THROUGH WELCOMERS 0.32 3.SCU ROBERT MUGABE STANDING NEXT TO HER 0.43 4.CU GRACE MARUFU LOOKING SIDEWAYS 0.50 5.SV ARCHBISHOP PATRICK CHAKAIPA AND COUPLE 0.53 6.SV CARDINAL AND COUPLE AS MUGABE STRUUGLES TO PUT RING ON GRACE'S FOURTH FINGER 1.11 7.SV GRACE PUTS RING ON HIS FINGER 1.17 8.SVS GUESTS ARRIVE FOR RECEPTION 1.33 9.GVS NAMIBIAN PRESIDENT SAM NUJOMA AND HIS PARTY ARRIVING 1.43 10.SV/SCU NELSON MANDELA ARRIVING 1.55 11.SCU SAM NUJOMA TALKING TO A WOMAN 2.09 12.SCU VIPS CHATTING 2.18 13.CU/SCU NELSON MANDELA SNIFFING POTPOURRI 14.GV PAN TABLE OF VETERANS 2.40 15.CU YOUNG WOMEN WITH BABY 2.48 16.GV PEOPLE SITTING ON BENCH AND EATING 2.54 17.GV PAN GUESTS AT TABLES 3.07 18.CU GRACE MUGABE PULL BACK TO SHOW ROBERT MUGABE AND JOAQUIM CHISSANO NEXT TO HER 3.30 19.GV WEDDING CAKE 3.33 20.GV WEDDING PARTY 3.39 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 1st September 1996 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ZVIMBA, ZIMBABWE
  • City:
  • Country: Zimbabwe
  • Reuters ID: LVA60N1CLT424X31K9E6X5MOVKGD
  • Story Text: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe married his former secretary on Saturday (17 August) at a huge wedding attended by about 15,000 people that brought sleekly suited African leaders together with barefoot villagers.

    Thousands streamed to his rural home in Zvimba, 100 kms (62 miles) northwest of the capital Harare, but only about 300 managed to get coveted seats in the Roman Catholic church to see the 72-year-old president exchange vows with his 31-year-old bride, Grace Marufu.

    Looking debonair in a navy blue suit and white gloves, Mugabe, whose best man was Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, pledged to look after her "in sickness or in health, in riches and poverty...till death do us part".

    Marufu, in a cream gown embroidered with green and gold, seemed more relaxed than Mugabe, who kept clenching and unclenching his fist, occasionally smiling at him throughout the proceedings in the church decked with white and yellow flowers.

    The three-hour ceremony presided over by Archbishop Patrick Chakaipa of Harare was a spicy mixture of African and Western traditions, the sound of drums interspersing with organ music.

    During the ceremony Mugabe knelt several times before the archbishop, who read a congratulatory message from the Pope.

    As the pair walked into the bright sunlight after the archbishop blessed their union, thousands of people who failed to get places in the church craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds.

    Later southern African presidents -- Nelson Mandela of South Africa in his traditional casual designer shirt, Sam Nujoma of Namibia and Botswana's Sir Ketumile Masire, who were clad in sleek designer suits -- mingled with barefoot villagers at the reception, dubbed by newspapers "the mother of all weddings".

    Mugabe's first wife, Ghanaian-born Sally, died in 1992 of kidney failure. The president is reported to have married Marufu months later the same year in an African traditional ceremony.

    The couple have two children, aged eight and six.


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