The staggering number of divorces granted by the High Court this week is a serious cause for concern, that speaks to the country’s parlous socio-economic situation in its various facets.
High Court judge Justice Erica Ndewere granted 22 couples the wish to terminate their marriages for varying reasons, with many citing irreconcilable differences for throwing in the towel.
According to a report we carried yesterday, there were initially 36 divorce cases on the court roll.
However, 14 were not concluded and deferred to next Thursday for the applicants to sort out inadequacies cited in their court papers.
One high profile case among the 22 involved Zanu PF Mhondoro-Ngezi MP Mike Gava whose wife Tendai Concilia Gava nee Wenyika accused him of infidelity.
The two had a very high profile wedding in 2012 that was attended by South African firebrand politician Julius Malema. Tendai accused her former husband of infidelity, among other allegations.
Their divorce shows that the breakdown of marriages affects all levels of society and not just the ordinary people.
Divorce is a complex matter whose causes vary from socio-economic, cultural and political factors.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
The breakdown in a marriage does not only affect the couple, but would change the lives of children of divorcing parents, close friends and relatives.
In many cases, the children of divorcing parents are affected the most as in many cases one of the spouses would withdraw their financial support.
It is not a coincidence that maintenance cases have been on the increase as divorcing parents fail to agree on the best ways to support their children.
Zimbabwe’s unending economic problems have been cited as one of the major causes of the higher divorce rate, but we should hasten to add that this is not backed by empirical research.
However, it is a fact that thousands of Zimbabwean couples were separated by the mass migration spawned by the collapse of the economy.
Husbands and wives had to leave their spouses to seek employment across the world and some landed in very faraway places, which meant they could go for years without reuniting with their families.
There has also been a break of families within the country as breadwinners travel the breadth and length of the country in search of income.
Others resort to cross-border trade that keeps them away from their families for far too long.
There are many other factors that lead to divorce that may not be connected to the economy such as violence and the death of the extended family.
Zimbabwe has traditionally been a conservative society, but due to globalisation, young people tend to be influenced by other cultures where the family unit is viewed in other terms.
There is no doubt that the divorce rate is on the increase and we need to think about the causalities of these breakdown such as children.
Institutions such as churches, the extended family and traditional structures are being called upon to save the family institution from collapse.
