Nelson Mandela And Graca Machel Wed In South Africa

Jet, August 3, 1998

Wedding bells recently rang for South Africa's favorite couple--South African President Nelson Mandela and his long-time sweetheart, Graca Machel.

President Mandela celebrated his 80th birthday by exchanging diamond-studded wedding rings with Ms. Machel, the 52-year-old widow of Mozambican President Samora Machel, during a private ceremony at Mandela's house in the posh Johannesburg suburb of Houghton.

They sealed their wedding vows with a lingering kiss during the ceremony performed by a Methodist Bishop, Mvuve Dandala.

Mirroring a spirit of multi-cultural diversity that President Mandela has fostered in South Africa, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim religious leaders also gave their blessings to the marriage. Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, several Cabinet ministers and relatives of the couple attended the nuptials.

"It was a very beautiful ceremony," Mandela spokesperson Priscilla Naidoo said.

Ms. Machel was wed in a cream-and-gold long skirt with matching top. Mandela wore a black-and-gold sport shirt, Naidoo said.

Mandela and Ms. Machel, one of the most influential people in Mozambique, went public with their relationship last year. She is a lawyer and an international campaigner for children's rights.

The marriage is Mandela's third and the second for Ms. Machel, who Mbeki said would continue to use her own name and live in Mozambique.

"She will not be moving out of Mozambique. They will be commuting as they have for some months now," Mbeki explained.

After the couple's wedding ceremony, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and 2,000 guests sang for President Mandela at his star-studded birthday bash in Johannesburg.

Surrounded by 80 children--each carrying a candle marking his 80 years--and facing a chest-high birthday cake, Mandela said: "My wife and I ..."

At those four words, the estate's banquet hall erupted into applause, cheers and whistles. Mandela and Ms. Machel then kissed, causing outright pandemonium. When it subsided, Mandela--by now grinning widely--was able to continue: "My wife and I say thank you very much."

After Mandela and Machel blew out a candle atop the cake on the third try, Wonder, on keyboards, led Jackson, clad in black hat, spangly black jacket and aviator sunglasses--and dozens of others in a funky version of Wonder's hit, Happy Birthday. National television broadcast the banquet live to the nation and a worldwide audience of 150 million people.

Earlier, Mandela made his birthday wish, expressing hope for a South Africa "free of hatred and discrimination; a place from which hunger and homelessness have been banished; a safe place for our children to grow into our future leaders."

The happy couple met in 1990, shortly afar Mandela was released from prison. Mandela has insisted that she be treated as the first lady of South Africa during foreign state visits.

The two previously had denied rumors they planned to wed. Just hours before the wedding, the president's aides and relatives denied a newspaper report that the ceremony was scheduled.

Mbeki said Mandela informed him of his wedding plans about two months ago.

Mandela married first in 1944, but he and his wife, Evelyn, divorced in 1957. The couple had four children; two of them died.

Mandela's second marriage to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in 1958 survived his 27 years in prison but ended in divorce in 1996. They had two daughters before Mandela was sent to prison for his outspoken stance against apartheid.

Ms. Machel's first husband, Mozambique President Samora Machel, was killed in 1986 in a suspicious plane crash. Ms. Machel is a highly popular and influential figure in Mozambique and headed the first United Nations study on the impact of war on children.

President Mandela has earlier declared his willingness to marry, but indicated that the hesitation came from Ms. Machel.

She has admitted her reluctance in previous interviews, but did not preclude the possibility.

She once told the Washington Post that she and Mandela were "resisting" marriage at that time. She added, however, "People know this is a serious relationship. It has all the elements of mutual respect for each other. There are no destructive elements. He's so easy to love."

She enthused, "What is really delightful about this story is that both of us went through very painful experiences. We met each other. We enjoy this relationship with such fulfillment and such plenitude, is that how you say it? It's so sweet and so complete and so natural."