An unforgettable date night – Khaya Dladla on his engagement

He normally hates surprises but last weekend proved to be the ultimate exception.

Actor and radio host, Khaya Dladla (31) tells Drum he’s still in shock after his long-term boyfriend Mercutio Buthelezi caught him off-guard and proposed.

“It is all sinking in now,” Khaya says.

The idea of getting married was not unexpected, but the timing was.

“We would casually speak about it, so I knew one day it was coming, but not now,” he admits.

The two lovebirds were at the Somhale wedding in February and, as per the wedding invite, went “dressed as you would to your own wedding”. But little did Khaya know he’d be prepping to walk down the aisle a few months later as well.

He shares the special proposal surprise with Drum.

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“We normally go out for date nights, and sometimes I make the booking, book a table for us,” Khaya says.

But this time, his partner took on the job and booked a table at the Ocean in Durban.

The setting was perfect. A romantic dinner overlooking the sea – and they were the only ones in the Ocean Reef Hotel in Zinkwazi Beach that night, or so Khaya thought.

“Turns out our date night was not really a date night because there were friends hidden in rooms,” Khaya says.

Alone on the balcony, taking in the view and ocean breeze, Mercutio proposed.

“When I said yes, everyone was popping out of everywhere. I didn’t see anyone’s car because they used the basement parking. Our car was the only one there,” he says.

It might have been a big surprise, but there was no hesitation in Khaya’s response. It was an obvious yes, says Khaya, as he wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.

“We have always promised each other that whatever happens we will not change. I don’t think I want another version of him.

“So, for us it is just a matter of making things official. We live together, we have been together for years now, and we are more friends than anything,” he adds.

Earlier on in the day, Khaya says he bumped into some friends at the salon. They acted like they were prepping to go elsewhere, but actually they were getting ready to celebrate his special moment with him.

Their friends and both their families were all part of the plan, which was strange for Khaya who says he likes to be in control.

“I felt a bit stupid,” he says. “I usually do my own birthday parties because I don’t like surprises. I don’t like people surprising me,” the Gagasi FM host says.

But Mercutio pulled it off in style.

Khaya says his man is the perfect match for him – a corporate man who adds a different dynamic to Khaya’s own showbiz life.

“For me, if he doesn’t change anything, I am fine. If he got richer, I would not mind. I mean!” he jokes.

“He values my dreams. Dating a famous person when you are not famous and in the corporate world is not easy. You never signed up to be famous, but you go to a mall and people want to take pictures with you because you are dating someone who is.