22 May 2022

Yobe Shonga, Presidential Chief photographer and the Department of Information Services head of photography, married his longtime sweetheart Keneilwe last Thursday in a glittering ceremony at Phakalane Golf Estate.

Later in the day, the President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi and wife Neo, invited the couple to dinner.

The President, who has distinguished himself as a pro-family person would later write on his FaceBook wall: “Yobe Shonga and your wife Keneilwe Shonga, congratulations on your marriage and beginning of a lifetime of blended joy. You have been a distinguished Presidential photographer. May God bless you and your union”.

That does not happen to a lot of people, and the Shongas are certainly blessed.
The wedding ceremony had actually started two days earlier with the traditional patlo ceremony at the bride’s place in Bokaa.

The 40 or so strong Shonga party arrived at dawn with the men going in first to ask for Keneilwe’s hand in marriage.
It was a typical Sekwena patlo where the Shonga men bunched together on the dirt, with their legs extended to show they were the ones doing the asking.

The wife granted, the men gave cue to the women who with their chequered blue and white mini-blankets over their shoulders and matching mateisi dresses, went in to meet the women on Keneilwe’s side.
The completion of the ceremony meant Yobe now had been procedurally given his wife.

Also bestowed upon both Yobe and Keneilwe now, was the undisputed titles of Mme and Rre which grant them the right to be involved in patlo of colleagues, friends and relatives in the future.
Only then could the couple go to the District Commissioner’s for the official signing, otherwise known as pholoso.

Keneilwe was stunning in her lavish cream bust-beaded off-shoulder ball gown dress.
Her unconventional but elegant flat wedding shoes were something to remark about.

Her simple answer was that,  er, but had never met him until he came wooing her some seven years back when he met her in their Phase 2 location.
They dated and got comfortably acquainted, resulting in their journey to marriage.

“Marriage was not in my plans, but along came this beauty here,” said the soft-spoken Yobe when it was his turn.
He thanked his in-laws for the wonderful way they had always treated him.

Then, he sang his wife Tamia’s So In To You.
And he did it with his own old hip hop mix, provoking a roar of applause and ululations.

The couple thanked their parents for raising them with love and instilling the love of God in them.
They are blessed with three children, two girls and a boy.ENDS