ONEZA: Botswana\'s most celebrated 2013 couple
Source : Kutlwano
Author : Calviniah Kgautlhe
Location : Gaborone
Event : Cover story interview
Just in the abstract, when an intense unpretentious attraction develops between two strangers and a constant yearn for the other`s company ensues, it exposes the heart to the unknown-unknowns.
It is that feeling that eludes definition, something akin to butterflies in the stomach. Of course it is a term that describes the emotional surge that takes place when that attraction is aroused at the sight of the attractor.
And only love qualifies for description in such colourful language.Yet as people normally say, words alone cannot explain love, only the two people involved in the game would know. Love, as it turns out is a delicate matter that only the heart understands.
And so it was that when millions of viewers world-wide stayed glued to their screens to enjoy the coziness that developed between Big Brother season 8 stars, the vocal RB 2 firebrand Disc Jokey Zibanani Madumo popularly known as O`Neal and 26 year old recording artist Feza Kessy of Tanzania inside Biggie`s house, many were left wondering if theirs was merely a love bubble that would burst and end with the show. It did not.
And O`Neil who is currently hosting Feza assures that theirs is different. “When I met Feza at Babylon (Hilton Hotel), where we were kept for a week before we went into Biggie`s House, I knew I loved her. It was not by coincidence that we met, some things are just far beyond our control. I believe God had something to do with it,” says O`Neal when Kutlwano recently paid the couple a visit at his Phakalane residence.
“God played a major role because we had major fights in the House, we were real to ourselves, if we did not fight, we would not be where we are now, we are friends, we love each other, those fights caused us to understand each other and we would like to maintain it that way,” he says, a look of content on his face.
Somewhere during the interview his phone rings. He gives it to Feza and tells her, “ Please answer, it`s your mother.” It rings again a couple of times and each time it is Feza`s ‘mother`. O`Neal realises our curiosity about Feza`s many mothers and he offers an explanation.
“We have mothers everywhere, they call us anytime to offer their support to me and Feza, some call from as far as Uganda. They send irons, ironing boards, anything- you name it,” then he cracks into laughter, embracing the support their relationship gets from their fans.
Feza remembers the day she met O`Neil at ‘Babylon` – May 25th. She liked him instantly. “I thought that Botswana guy, mmmh!” She says beating the table cheerfully, determinedly, as she reminisces about the way she felt at the time and laughs.
“But he pretended not to see, I followed him up but he kept on ignoring me. He had promised to call but he never called, I was like “Dude what in the world is wrong with this Botswana guy?” And the moment we got into the house I was prepared to cause drama in the house because he had not called. I was so mad at him. To my surprise when we got into the house I saw different guys, I kept on thinking, and hoping that this Botswana guy would arrive,but to my surprise he never came, we were divided into Ruby and Diamond houses, hey, I was so disappointed!” She looks up, a soft smile lighting up her pretty face.
“I knew he was from Botswana. Fortunately we got on so well with Motamma and I asked her about O`Neal because I was wondering why O`Neal was ignoring me, why he was stubborn. I kept wondering and when I moved to the Ruby House he was so cold to me, and annoyed me when he played hard to get!” And as things unfolded in the Big Brother house they eventually met and the rest as they say, is history.
“I think O`Neal is very strict and people thought he was controlling me, but O`Neal was my strength in that house, if it was not for him I would have long left the house because he kept me in checks, the fights that I was involved in, I would have long been disqualified.
He was in demand with girls in the house and I got jealous,” she says of the man she adores.The couple whose fans commonly refer to as ‘ONEZA` are besotted with each other. They have a lot that they are working on together, even as they bask in the Big Brother limelight.
“We currently do public appearances, public speaking that is our line of work for now, right now we are working on writing and producing music together, and we want to music out soon,” O`Neal chips in.
“I love radio, radio has made me who I am and my contract with RB2 still stands, but for now Feza and I are pursuing other things. We have a lot of work lined up in SA, a gala dinner has been organised for us there by our fans, these high ranking people say they have been raising money for us and they want to hand us the cheque.”
O`Neal says he aspires to impart literacy skills on young people through cultivating the culture of reading, “Young people associate books with school but reading should be a part of us because in life you never stop learning, If you read, you have advantage over others, it makes you amazing,” says O`Neal.
Feza who is a former Tanzanian beauty queen and a mother of one, Jaden, says she is smitten with O`Neal who is also father of one, Lekgotla.
“Big Brother doubted my relationship with Feza would work and I told him that every relationship is based on two people, there is no template for a relationship. This is why some relationships do not work, they are not being real,” he says as a matter of fact.
“I do not know where this relationship is going but what I know is that I never get into anything and not complete it. For now we are happy and I want to maintain it that way,” he says.
When asked if Feza would return to Tanzania, O`Neal says, “Feza is not going anywhere,” which could mean bigger things to come. To say the least, that day is what any ONEZA fan dreams about. Ends
Teaser:
“I do not know where this relationship is going but what I know is that I never get into anything and not complete it. For now we are happy and I want to maintain it that way,”
