Photos and text by Charmain Carrol.
Four months ago…
Where: Midrand, Johannesburg
When: 23rd March 2014
Bathini Dambuza and I were honoured to attend yet another engagement lunch of two of our fellow lesbian sisters held in Midrand, Johannesburg. The couple who got engaged is Vanessa Mathebula (24) and Ntokozo Mthalane (27. Ntokozo is a professional dancer and Vanessa is a medical rep.
As you walk into their apartment there are pictures of them on the walls and one could sense the warmth and homely atmosphere. The kitchen counter was full of food that the couple had prepared for the guests.
Close friends and family were there to support and celebrate with them. The couple started dating on 9th February 2013. On the 14th March 2014, Ntokozo (also known as Nana) proposed to her sweetheart and on the 23rd March 2014 a lunch was held in which many friends and family witnessed their engagement.
Amongst the family members who came to support the couple was Vanessa’s mother. I managed to steal some few minutes from her as she was very busy with preparations. She was very hands-on as to not just being there but also contributing by capturing the moments of her second eldest daughter’s special day. I asked her how she felt about the engagement since there’s so much hate crimes reported in our society and she said, “I have accepted my daughter and her partner as part of the family. As long as they are happy, I will support them”.
As the day progressed a lot of dancing took place and we couldn’t help but notice how the couple couldn’t get their hands off of each other, stealing kisses here and there one could tell how in love the couple is.
Previous by Charmain
2013 Feb. 8: “Let your voices be heard”
inkanyiso.org 
We need more parents like Vanessa’s mother who can look past their children’s sexuality and see their relationships with their partners for what they really are – a relationship. Whether it is between a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, a man and a man or a transgender individual and a heterosexual individual it is still a relationship. I would say I commend her for her acceptance but I can’t because that would mean that she has done something extraordinary that other parents would never have thought of doing. What she has done is what every parent should do for their child and that is to wish them all the happiness that God has afforded the world regardless of the form that happiness may take.
Beautiful pics,congratulation to the couple.
My heart overflows with happy feelings when i see beautiful people just be happy in their own skin as who Our beautiful God has created them to be,live and love.
Thank you for loving each other Nana and Venessa yo’ll are beautiful.
Im motivated to live more life #dankie
Lord they make a gorgeous couple! Congrats to them!
This is just beautiful!
Congratulations you guys.. take care of each other
Hey Nana is my childhood friend!!! ❤️
Almost nine years ago I moved to New York,USA and we lost touch,outside of the short time she came to visit me,but that was the last I saw her.OMG how beautiful is she alongside her stunning bride.If you do read your blog comments or if anyone reading this may know her,do pass my congratulations and love on to her as well as my email yomofokeng@yahoo.com
Wow,this world is consistently getting small
My partner and I have been engaged for a year now, And we planning to make things official by April next year. I am so excited to get our families together, be Mrs Setati Ntshingila officially. And we will definitely invite the Inkanyiso crew to come and celebrate with us.
I really am so happy for the couple . Please love an take care and protect each other”s hearts all the days of your lives guys. God bless you.