Dancing the night away

I also used to buy flowers for my wife,” Tshabalala said.

“Flowers were presented during the day and music was (played) at night. And everything was okay, my family was together and still is today,” he said.

“When my wife passed away, I thought I should not introduce someone who would cause friction, so I never married again. I already had a big family and with all this army, introducing a third party would have caused problems.

“Which ever girlfriend I had, I explained that ‘you know I have this problem’,” he said referring to his vow to never remarry. “My family is happy because they have full control of me, they say whatever they like and we are all happy,” said Tshabalala, who had his guests in stitches.

The evening started off with guests being served with snacks and drinks before they were ushered into the playhouse auditorium where the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra played for about 45 minutes.

Notable guests included the ANC’S treasurer- general, Dr Zweli Mkhize, who Tshabalala met as a student, and his wife May, businessman Vivian Reddy and his wife, Sorisha Naidoo.

From the legal fraternity there was advocate Marumo Moerane, who studied with Tshabalala at the University of Fort Hare, and Judge Kala Pillay, among others. Guests feasted on a three-course meal and were entertained by music of the Durban Gospel Group and Karen van Pletsen.