Winner of the ninth season of the popular competition show Idols SA, Musa Sukwene has recently tied the knot in style with his partner Thiamo Makama. The couple donned matching attires that seemed to be inspired by the BaPedi culture, however, internet users quickly pointed out the bride’s misuse of the gele headwrap, which has Nigerian origins.
When it comes to culture, people tend to be overprotective, whether it is the traditions passed down or the attire people wear to stand out from other cultures. The African continent particularly, is prominent for its pride in the rich and diverse cultures that exist within the continent. Each culture has its own unique attire that symbolises different things, which is held at a high regard by those who wear it.
This past weekend, during her wedding ceremony with Musa, Thiamo sported a gold dress filled with fine details and added an extravagant head-wrap to match. Although looking all kinds of stunning, the images sparked a conversation that has been looming for a while on social media.
When BMashilo Designs took to their X (formerly Twitter) to show off the beautiful work they did in dressing the bride, some users wasted no time in inquiring about the new trend where South African women wear Nigerian traditional pieces, such as the gele headwrap which originated from the Yoruba tribe, even when there is no Nigerian part of the wedding.
One user urged designers to stop making gele’s for their South African clients.
Honoured to have dressed @Musathevoice and Mrs Sukwene for their Traditional wedding ? pic.twitter.com/VFvVOfGS9d
— BMashiloDesigns (@BMashiloDesigns) October 6, 2024
Designers need to stop making geles for South Africans. https://t.co/1ddebrOLnW
— uppity african??? (@keahendricks) October 7, 2024
Although some users came to the bride’s defence, stating that she can do whatever she wants with her money, the consensus seems to be on the other side, as users continue to condemn Thiamo. Furthermore, others have pointed out the hypocrisy displayed by those defending Thiamo, referencing Chidimma’s story where South Africans were not so kind to her merely because of her Nigerian origin.
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