Fombe rejects lavish wedding spending: ‘Correct maths for budget is under K10mil not K69mil’
A Lilongwe socialite couple has dismissed social media gossips that their wedding at lakeshore resort Livingstonia Beach Hotel in Salima on Saturday is budgeted at K69 million, saying the arithmetic is wrong as they have restricted spending on “wild partying” to less than K10 million.
James Jimmy Mac Fombe, head of procurement at the Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST) will be wedding his sweetheart Mphatso Tiyankhulenji Kadzamira after the two engaged recently in Lilongwe.
Social media was awash with rumours that the wedding will cost K69 million but Fombe denied, saying they are not planning an exorbitant wedding.
“No way we can spend K69 million. We want to do something unique but not extravagant,” scoffed Fombe when he spoke to Nyasa Times.
Asked to give details of his budget, Fombe was upfront: “For preparations we booked 35 rooms at the place for Friday and Saturday at a weekend rate of K65, 000. One can either do the simple mathematics or call the hotel to verify.”
He said other expenses are the bride’s wedding gown and the groom’s suit.
“Two maids will buy their own clothes. Two best men buy their own suits,” he said.
Fombe said other costs will be photography and videography at K500, 000 and entertainment at K90, 000.
“In short the whole budget is under less than K10 million including a donated decorator,” said Fombe.
“I surely can’t understand why one would mention a K69 million figure for the wedding, certainly not ours,” he added.
Fombe, 38 is a former football player and administrator who once served as Mighty Wanderers FC secretary general and then chairman in 2010 season.
Before joining CMST, Fombe worked as head of procurement for SADC headquarters in Botswana.
A holder of MBA from University of Strathclyde in Scotland, Fombe has previously worked for Carlsberg Malawi Breweries and United Nations.
Apart from work, a chartered fellow of Institute of Logistics and Transport in UK and a chartered procurement specialist of Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply UK also have 70 percent shareholding in air travelling Botswana under Eagle Target Group.
Asked when he was lured to his sweetheart Mphatso, Fombe said they met seven years ago while she was working for Auction Holdings Limited. She resigned last August to concentrate on her business and further education studies.
His best man at the wedding is Tadikila Mafubza.
The cost of tying the knot is modern-day weddings is mostly lavish with expensive venues, mind-boggling vehicle fleets, extravagant photography budgets, large cakes, expensive golden rings, imported garments among other items that feature in the budgets.
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