Love knows no bounds, and for Munachi and Bee, it’s a journey that’s taken them on a whirlwind adventure of romance and self-discovery.
In celebration of Lesbian Visibility Week, we spotlight Munachi and Bee, a loving couple marked by their warmth, unrelenting support for each other and never-ending giggles.
Munachi, a 27-year-old Business Operations Manager at a Fintech company and her girlfriend, Bee, 27, the CEO of a thriving travel agency and real estate firm, take us on a journey through their love story.
Together, they shine a light on what it means to be in love, be visible, and be unapologetically themselves.
How did you meet, and what was your first impression of each other?
Bee: We met on X (formerly known as Twitter) through a friend in 2019.
And getting to know her, I found her cute and shy, and I tried to get her out of her shell. We became friends right after.
Munachi: We didn’t know what each other looked like, but we had an emotional connection, and I enjoyed talking to her. After a while, I posted my picture, and she reciprocated the gesture.
I recall our first meeting vividly. My nerves were a telling sign that I had a crush on her. When she visited my city, I invited her over —and was immediately struck by her beauty. Despite being a picky eater, she ate the meal I prepared. That small victory brought me immense joy.
We talked into the night about life, work, everything, and I couldn’t stop staring at her. However, I didn’t make a move on her.
Interesting! How did you finally become official?
Munachi: That took a while. We lost touch for some time after she fell out with her friends. That evolved into a long hiatus, but we spoke again after a bad situation made me reach out.
We agreed to meet, and that was when she told me she had blocked me on all socials because she felt I abandoned her when she had issues. I had no idea I was blocked, but we apologised and became friends again.
In a quiet moment during a phone call, I admitted what I’d kept to myself—I’d been crushing on her since we met on X (formerly known as Twitter). The conversation ended abruptly, but Bee did not let it go. The next day, we met, and she asked if I still had a crush on her. I couldn’t deny it, and I admitted it. Surprisingly, she asked if she could kiss me. I said yes—and she gently pecked my forehead. Can you imagine? We kissed properly, and things shifted after that.
We spent time together and she expected a New Year proposal— clichè right? Instead, I asked her to be my girlfriend on January 4. I created a painting just for her, and hidden on the back was the big question: would she be my girlfriend? She said yes.
How do your individual differences complement each other in your relationship?
Munachi: One thing that stands out is our communication. We value communication, but in different ways. I like to sit with my emotions and process things, but Bee likes to address things immediately. It gets me to be more open, and I do that with her.
Bee is also more ambitious, and I love that about her. I’m more laid back, so she pushes me to do and chase things.
What’s your most memorable experience with your girlfriend?
Bee: The first time I was going through one of my usual existential crises, Munachi was there. She calmed me down, listened, asked the right questions and said exactly what I needed to hear.. Afterwards, she hugged me. I felt safe, seen and validated. Can’t replicate that moment and the feeling.
Munachi: We almost broke up on Valentine’s Day for a ludicrous reason. She had arrived later than expected for our date, and that caused us to change plans. She also got lipstick stains on my shirt and I was bothered by it, so I had to change. However, she believed it shouldn’t have been enough reason to change because she wasn’t dirty.
It escalated fast, and coupled with stress from the week, we said harmful things to each other. To make matters worse, the idea of ending the relationship came up. But in the end, we found ourselves crying and working through our differences.
Now, we know to be cautious with words when we’re angry, and we never joke about breaking up.
I’m glad you worked through that. You have a beautiful relationship in a society that finds it hard to adapt. Does that affect your relationship?
Bee: Yes! We’ve had to lie about our relationship with colleagues, business partners and investors because we understand the prejudice that surrounds homophobic relationships.
Munachi: Bee loves physical touch and often wants to hold my hands publicly. Due to experiences with public homophobia, I’ve had to tone down my displays of affection to avoid unwanted attention.
In a perfect world, what would your future together look like?
Bee: I see us in our home in a different country that’s more accepting of us, living out our dreams, travelling the world, and building a family in the near future.
Munachi: Add movies too! We love seeing movies together, so we’d do that too.
Munachi and Bee’s love story is a testament to their dedication to building a lasting relationship. While it’s a shame that the country criminalises their existence, it’s heartwarming proof that nothing can stop love.
