Koffi Olomide to sing at Mugabe daughter's wedding
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has invited iconic Congolese musician Koffi Olomide to perform at his daughter’s wedding on Saturday.
The 90-year-old leader’s first born daughter Bona (24) will tie the knot with Mr Simba Chokore, a pilot.
President Mugabe flew back home on Thursday from a Comesa summit in the Democratic Republic of Congo accompanied by the musician and his band.
Ahead of the wedding to be graced by DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila and his Zambian counterpart Michael Sata, among other high-profile guests, Koffi has been singing the veteran ruler’s praises.
“(President) Mugabe loves Zimbabwe and nobody can contest that. For me as an African, I am proud of him because he loves Africa,” he told state media on Friday.
“He fights for Zimbabwe (to be) free. Mistakes or no mistakes, it is not my matter. He is a real patriot.”
No politics, please
He claimed he had not been paid to perform for the more 4,000 guests expected at the Mugabe residence at one of Harare’s leafiest suburbs.
“It is an honour to have been chosen by the President's family to be the singer for this wedding. From the bottom of my heart, I say thank you to His Excellency Mr Mugabe and his wife,” he said.
“I met her (Grace Mugabe) today and I am very touched and happy. This is one of the greatest days in my life of singing. I wish the best to Bona Mugabe and husband, the pilot.”
He added that he accepted the invitation because he respected the Zimbabwean ruler.
“If he gives me anything it is a token but I did not charge for this. It is a memorable day where I am going to perform for more than 4,000 people,” the musician said.
However, Koffi was at pains to emphasise that his appearance at the wedding had nothing to do with politics.
“This President has a daughter in love and he is doing his duty as a parent to advise the daughter. They are human beings and they are happy to have this wedding. We can, this time, forget about politics,” he said.
President Mugabe, whose only child with his first wife died while he was in detention, a fortnight ago admitted he never thought he would live to see any of his children getting married.
He was in his 70s when he married his second wife Grace and the couple has three children.