It was love at first Skype
for Francistown business manager Marc Omphemetse Themba and Ricardo Raymond
Amunjera � popularly known as Mr Gay Namibia.
Same-sex marriages are not
yet legal in the couple�s home countries so the love-birds travelled to
Johannesburg last week to tie the knot in a civil ceremony.
On Saturday they will
celebrate their nuptials and Ricardo�s 30th birthday with a glittering reception
at Windhoek�s Hilton Hotel.
The relationship began as
a cyber-romance last year. Marc saw Ricardo�s photograph on a friend�s Facebook
page and decided to contact him.
But Ricardo ignored his
messages for two months, dismissing him as �just another crazy person�. Marc
wasn�t deterred. Eventually his persistence led to a whirlwind Skype
romance.
�I could hear that he was
humble and genuine. I just wanted him to keep on talking,� says
Ricardo.
Soon, the couple was
spending three hours a day on the phone. When Ricardo decided to take the plunge
and visit Botswana, Marc was thrilled � and a little apprehensive.
He laughs as he describes
rushing past Ricardo at the airport so he could take refuge in the
bathroom.
In the end it turned out
to be simple.
�Ricardo is the first
meaningful relationship of my life. He�s a beautiful shy person. He sometimes
comes across as fierce, but he�s a sweetie,� says Marc.
Marc has never hidden his
sexuality. He and his two siblings lost their parents long back, and were raised
by Dithapelo Sibona � a family friend. Marc says he is humbled by the way she
welcomed the news of his marriage, because �you don�t necessarily expect someone
of her generation to be so open�.
Ma Sibona told The Voice
that she regards Marc as her own child. She wasn�t surprised when she heard
about his sexuality.
�That is how God created
him, so people out there should accept him the way he is,� she said.
For Marc, marriage means
moving to Namibia. He doesn�t want to leave Botswana, but he can�t wait to build
a life with his new husband. Ricardo is a geological supervisor at Langer
Heinrich Uranium mine, so it would be harder for him to relocate. Both men feel
that the future for gay people is looking brighter in their countries.
�Attitudes are slowing
changing. Maybe one day the law will too,� says Marc.
Ricardo uses social media
to transform negative thinking. �People are afraid of the unknown. But when we
connect on Facebook we respond to each other as individuals,� he
explains.
Meanwhile this weekend is
party time, and about 70 of Marc�s closest friends and relatives will travel to
Windhoek to help him celebrate. Vows will be exchanged, but they won�t be
scripted. Marc will �just look into Ricardo�s eyes and speak from the
heart�.
�I think it�s going to be
a lovely reception,� said Francistown-based Amo Bogacu.
In Botswana, gay couples
are not always true to themselves.
Because of our culture,
it�s hard for them to take the risk of losing everything, maybe even their
families, for the sake of just one special person.�
For Ricardo, Marc is that
person. �When I�m with him I want to be the best I can be,� says Mr Gay
Namibia.
