New African princess

Have you met my new husband? Neither have I, actually. Nevertheless, I have high hopes that this will be a harmonious relationship.

In my mind, I have taken to imagining that my new prince is tall, dark and handsome. And seeing as he had the money to procure my passport - from among the 21 that were stolen from MTN's VIP group in Ghana - I am hoping he will be a regular financial contributor to my household.

Of course, you may have heard about the theft in our local newspapers. In fact, since my return, several colleagues have questioned me on the accuracy of the stories.

What happened? One of our hotel rooms was broken into while we were watching the opening match of the African Cup of Nations.

Why were all the passports together? An MTN employee was holding the delegation's passports for safety reasons.

How did journalists get to be part of a VIP delegation? Surely it should have been called a VIP delegation with some journos hanging on? *Shrug* MTN must have been feeling generous.

The only power "issues" we experienced were a few half-second flickers on Saturday morning, but I still maintain that was some conscientious hotel employee trying to make the South African delegation feel at home.

Kimberly Guest, senior journalist, ITWeb

Of course, the MTN executives on the tour with us were understandably stressed about the situation. After all, who would want to spend more time than absolutely necessary with a team of nosy journalists with seemingly endless capacity for all things alcoholic?

I, on the other hand, adopted a more pragmatic approach. Ghana had been absolutely wonderful and her people were among some of the friendliest I have had the pleasure of meeting. So why should I let a theft - without violence, may I point out - ruin the time spent in the country?

The trip was so enjoyable, I even adopted a theme song. I'm not sure many South Africans remember this tune, but it goes along the lines of: "I can see clearly now the lights are on..."

Yes, that's right, Ghana had electricity. The only power "issues" we experienced were a few half-second flickers on Saturday morning, but I still maintain that was some conscientious hotel employee trying to make the South African delegation feel at home.

The question I now need to ask myself is what to do with my incumbent husband. Despite being a good ole KwaZulu-Natal girl, I still feel I should stick to only one hubby at a time.

Admittedly, my long-standing hubby did not do himself any favours when I phoned him to tell him our passports had been stolen. Instead of spousal concern, my hubby responded: "Damn it Kim, I knew you should have taken your laptop. If that had been stolen I could have bought myself the new MacBook Air..."

Nevertheless, I can't help but think that at least he knew me when I was young and unravaged by motherhood. (My new hubby, on the other hand, may not recognise me from the very outdated photo in my passport.)

Also, it's been a week since my passport was stolen and still I have received no calls from my new suitor. Could it be that he is just interested in my money?

If it is my money he is after, then please will someone warn him that my bank manager regularly points out that I don't have any. Journalism is not known for its executive-level pay and quite frankly, my current hubby's burning desire for the latest and greatest gadgets leaves the family struggling to live within our means.

On the other hand, if he has money to spare - and appropriate BEE credentials - I may still consider the benefits of tribal polygamy.