22 | 16 january 2014 www.drum.co.za

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WITH a twinkle in his eye and a spring in his step he strides up the marble staircase and places his thumb on a biometric ma-

chine that reads his fingerprint. The large wooden door automatically swings

open, revealing a cavernous garage within. “There, you see, we have replaced our old fleet of cars?” Durban tycoon and former metro policeman S’bu Mpisane says with a smug smile as he points to his collection of exotic, luxury cars parked on the marble tiles.

It’s DRUM’s first visit to this coveted collec-tion housed in an air-conditioned garage that can easily take eight cars. “These are my new cars,” he says, waving a hand expansively over the shiny automobiles parked inside the garage of

his huge, white seaside home in La Lucia Ridge in KwaZulu-Natal.

“The car registration number plates are not personalised but we will be keeping the same NUR1 and NUR2 tags,” he notes. “But please don’t take pictures of these – I have better cars parked outside,” S’bu says.

TODAY is no ordinary day for S’bu (43) and his entrepreneur wife Shauwn (39), who have close links with the provincial ANC and are friends of former police commissioner, Bheki Cele.

In the next four hours the Durban “It” couple will host their annual New Year’s Eve party to ring in 2014 in style. And DRUM has been extended an exclusive invitation.

It’s been two years since KZN’s most famous couple threw their A-list New Year’s party and this year’s invite promises guests a time to re-member: Men are asked to wear tuxedos, while female guests should dress in cocktail dresses

or elegant gold outfits. The message is clear: The Mpisanes are back – bigger, better and more stylish than before.

“We’ve invited 250 guests, including close

friends and family, to help us celebrate the New Year,” confirms hefty S’bu, who walks slowly and talks in measured tones.

“Unlike the cars inside the garage these are our special gifts to each other,” he says adjusting a white silk cloth lovingly over one of the two

NEW BEGINNINGS They’re back! S’bu and Shauwn Mpisane ushered in the New Year

with a spectacular, who’s who party at their Durban home by S’THEMBISO HLONGWANE AND KHOSI BIYELA Pictures: LuBABALO LESOLLE

We’re not afraid to set trends

for others to follow