MAKHOSANA Mguni (27) and his fiancée Belinda Nyoni (24), who are now famously known across the country as the Chicken Inn proposal couple, had a week to remember as fast foods brand Chicken Inn flew them from Bulawayo to Harare for a marketing deal among several other programmes to market their intriguing story of love and romance.
“Belinda and Makhosana had a very busy day on Friday. Chicken Inn flew them in to Harare to finalise the brand’s contribution in celebrating their love. Watch this space for the very special announcement coming on Monday, thanks to you,” Chicken Inn said in a statement.
What started off as an act to publicly declare his love and affection for a woman he describes as his everything on December 26, 2018 at Chicken Inn Drive Thru, quickly trended on the Internet as Makhosana’s picture on bended knee was plastered on social media platforms.
“It wasn’t actually the Chicken Inn at ZITF where we met; we met at the one on 8th Avenue. We live in the same neighbourhood and I had always admired her from afar and got the opportunity to talk to her on that day. That’s the reason I chose to do my proposal at Chicken Inn, because it has a lot of sentimental value for us as a couple,” said Mguni.
Fortunately, the Internet trolls were quickly dismissed by the majority and their misgivings were soon drowned in the voices of those who celebrated the newly engaged couple.
The proposal, Makhosana said was a culmination of a six-year relationship that is filled with love between neighbours who live in Bulawayo’s Nketa 6 suburb.
“We actually met six years ago. The first time I saw her was at Chicken Inn 8th Avenue. I relocated to South Africa two years later where I’m now based and we kept in touch on the phone, through calls and WhatsApp.
“Once in a while, I’d send her gifts,” said Makhosana who is an aspiring pastor at the Assemblies of Glory Pentecostal Church.
Belinda who refers to her partner as MK said: “We live close to each other in Nketa and when we met at Chicken Inn six years ago, I didn’t know that he had been ‘checking me out’ in the neighbourhood. I think when he saw me there, he then took advantage of the fact that we were at a place where there weren’t people who knew us,” said Belinda, a devout Seventh Day Adventist.
The picture that turned the couple into celebrities overnight as Makhosana proposed to Belinda inside a Chicken Inn outlet
MK said he used to admire Belinda from afar and promised himself that one day, he would talk to her.
“I used to see her in the neighbourhood when I was with my friends. I’d tell them that I liked her and she had captured my heart. However, I couldn’t gather the strength to approach her when we were in Nketa 6.
“When I saw her at Chicken Inn, it was a perfect moment as she wasn’t with her friends. I asked for her number and we became friends for a while. We became so close that I couldn’t spend a day without seeing her and before I knew it, we fell in love some months later,” said MK.
When one talks to the couple, they steal loving glances at each other, occasionally blushing when their eyes meet. They both speak glowingly about each other although the more forthcoming is Makhosana as Belinda is a very shy and reserved character.
“What I’ve noticed is that she loves me for who I am and not for what I have. I’m not the richest man in the world neither do I have Usher Raymond looks but she’d choose me always, I’m sure of that,” said Makhosana.
Asked what made her fall in love with Makhosana, Belinda said it was his dreadlocks (which he has since shaved off) and that he was a twin.
“I loved his dreadlocks, his small eyes and that he is a twin. My mother is a twin as well so I envisioned that when we have children, I’d have twins.”
The decision to go on bended knee was something that had been gnawing Makhosana’s mind for the past month. Actually, Makhosana bought the engagement ring last year and for one month, he was carrying it around each time he would meet Belinda.
“I bought the ring in South Africa and I was moving around with it in my pocket for a month or so. I was waiting for the right moment.
Therefore, on that day, I had hired a photographer called Ricky and he was ready for the whole thing as I had briefed him along with her sister Ntokozo.
“The sister assisted me with getting the right size of the ring and she together with the photographer hid in a corner on the day,” said Makhosana.
Chicken Inn overwhelms the couple with niceties
“Once inside and settled as we waited for our order of a two-piecer, I popped the question and the rest is history.”
When the picture went viral on social media, there were people who ridiculed Makhosana for proposing at a fast food joint. This for him was a shock as Chicken Inn was the ideal place to propose to Belinda as it was the place they met, exchanged digits and held their first date six years ago. After the proposal and pictures were taken, Belinda was sent a WhatsApp text from her sister in the United Kingdom, informing her she was all over the Internet.
“I saw the picture on Sunday morning. It was sent to me on my WhatsApp by my sister who lives in the UK. I was surprised and before I knew it, people were sending the same picture to my WhatsApp. It happened so fast,” said Belinda.
Until today the couple does not know how their pictures leaked on social media.
“We never put the pictures on our profile or statuses as our parents didn’t know about the proposal. So perhaps one of our friends put them on their Facebook or WhatsApp status. We suspect that’s where it was picked up,” said Belinda.
The couple is overwhelmed at the love and support that they have been getting from Zimbabweans thanking companies and individuals who have pledged to give them a dream wedding.
“People have been wishing us well. It was really shocking that there are some people who offered all these services to us. We never knew that Zimbabweans have such kind hearts like this. Maybe it’s God who is showing his favour to this relationship. It means that God approves of this relationship,” said Belinda.
The next step for Makhosana is to introduce his fiancé to his family and formalise their relationship with her family.
“My plan now is to approach her family and pay lobola, then plan for a wedding, get married and live with her. Although everyone now knows about us, I’ll stick to my guns and go ahead with everything.”
So far, the couple has been interviewed on Skyz Metro FM and on Friday, they travelled to Harare for an interview with Star FM’s Nikki as well as a fitting at Jan Jam boutique.
The couple have appeared on radio this past week
Movie house Ster Kinekor were the first to jump on as they offered the lovebirds a Cine Prestige cinema and 44 of their friends and relatives for them to celebrate while watching a movie of their choice.
Chicken Inn asked people to tell them what they want the outlet to do for the couple and most suggestions were that the food outlet should pay for the couple’s entire wedding, pay for lobola and also make them brand ambassadors for a year or life.
A Facebook page called The Belinda and Makhosana Love Story has been set up and has nearly 1 000 followers.
The couple denied owning or running it although a statement posted on the page thanking people was theirs.
#TeamHUKU poses with the couple
“We shall set up a Facebook page that’s official. The one that’s there isn’t ours. The statement that was published is one that we made, though we don’t know where whoever’s running the page got it,” said Mguni in an interview.
The couple, in their statement, said they were surprised that there were people trolling them.
“As you might have probably heard, we are just a young couple from Bulawayo. When we got engaged, it was a gesture of pure devotion and commitment. We did not think it would be the highlight of social media ‘trolling’ but hey, all things work together for the good. When Jesus says ‘yes’, who can say ‘no?’” said the couple.
“Ster-Kinekor Zimbabwe, we are truly grateful for the way you stood up and dared to be different just for us. When most laughed at us, you guys turned the ship around. We do not know how to thank you. To everyone who is showing their support through commitment and pledges, Zimbabwe needs more people like you. May God richly bless your businesses because it’s not easy to help a stranger but you guys are doing it for us.”
Music crooner Tariro neGitare said: “I would gladly play at that wedding for free!”
Other businesses and individuals have since come forward and pledged free transportation, catering, printing invitation cards, interior decor, among other wedding and household requirements.
The couple said the dates for the lobola ceremony would be announced as they were being negotiated by both families.
Tonight at 21,.00 hrs, the lovely couple have an appearance on political activist Acie Lumumba’s ‘The Lumumba Files’ Facebook series.