Gala meal fit for a prince

Andrea Nagel

LAST night HRH Prince Harry attended a VIP gala fundraising dinner at Summer Place, a lavish venue in the heart of Hyde Park, Johannesburg.

Wearing a slinky, bare-backed, Gavin Rajah gown, MC for the night Bonang Matheba said the dinner was held to launch the Mamohato programme – named after Prince Seeiso's late mother, Queen Mamohato Bereng Seeiso. The programme would aim to build the first permanent centre for children and young people living with HIV in Lesotho.

Heads of industry attended the dinner along with ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa and Patrice and Precious Motsepe.

Celebrities included Top Billing presenter Lorna Maseko and actress Terry Pheto.

Vicky Crease catering was nominated by Summer Place to create the menu for the dinner.

Crease's menu had a distinctly African flavour tailored for sophisticated tastes.

Canapes included basil-infused macaroon topped with Springbok carpaccio, and black pepper macaroon with curried crocodile and shallot marmalade.

For their main course, guests could choose between delicious free-range Karoo lamb rack or Venetian artichoke and asparagus risotto.

Crease also put the royal household in touch with Matheba after they had inquired about the popular South African celebrity.

Matheba said: "I've never met an English royal before now, but Prince Harry is very down to earth and relaxed – not how I imagine the rest of the family to be."

The 28-year-old prince spent yesterday with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, with whom he founded Sentebale, meaning "forget me not" in Sotho, in memory of their late mothers, in 2006.

The two princes visited Kananelo Centre for the Deaf outside Maseru, where they were greeted by hundreds of children from the area bearing letters that spelt: "We Love Prince Harry".

The prince also visited St Bernadette's Resource Centre for the Blind in Maseru and watched children learning braille. He then visited the Reitumetse Church Project, which cares for orphans and children with disabilities.

English newspapers are reporting that Prince Harry will not stay in South Africa to accompany his friend, Cressida Bonas, to the wedding of her sister, Isabella, to Sir Richard Branson's son, Sam.

Bonas and Branson are said to be getting married at Sir Richard's private South African game reserve next month.