Mojuta warns women against cohabitation

Ivy Matlho | Friday January 15, 2016 15:37

Speaking during a meeting held at Botshabelo kgotla on Wednesday Mojuta encouraged women to stop cohabiting stating that it encourages men to delay marriage processes as they enjoy the privileges given to them by these women.

She said that it is wrong for a woman to leave her mother’s home and stay with a man who has not married her.

“Cohabitation is against Setswana culture. It is wrong as it also delays a man to marry because you will be staying with him doing house chores hence having less pressure to marry,” she said. Mojuta said that most of the people who cohabit are the youth.

“Young men should stop taking women into their houses without marrying them as it is wrong,” she stressed. Mojuta pleaded with the youth to stop the habit as it disadvantages them in many ways apart from delaying marriage. She said that women should learn a lesson from people who were cohabitating and were left with nothing after the man decided to take another woman into the house. She said the most painful part is when the relationship goes sour and the woman is expected to exit the house with nothing despite the many years she spent at the boyfriend’s place.

“It is sad that when the relationship ends the woman leaves with nothing especially when she was not working.  This experience by most of women who were cohabiting should be an eye-opener to the youth,” she said.

Mojuta however pleaded with the office of the District Commissioner to at least come up with ways that will ensure that the woman also benefits after the relationship ends.

“Men use these women for years but when the relationship ends, the woman is forced to leave without even a single property which is not fair. I plead with your office District Commissioner to at least ensure that the women also have a share of the property accumulated during the lifetime of the relationship,” she said.

Mojuta also encouraged women to ensure that they take care of their children without leaving the responsibility to men alone. She said that women should understand that nowadays both parents are bound to take equal responsibilities of their children.

“In cases of child maintenance women should also understand that nowadays men also have the right to sue them if they (women) fail to take care of their offspring,” she said.

One of the residents who preferred anonymity said that it is sad that women continue to cohabit despite the abuse they get from their partners. She said the abuse is mostly done on women who are dependent on these men. “It is not going to be easy to fight violence against women if we continue to see women cohabiting,” she said. She said women are also not taking any legal action against the abusive partners because they do not want to be chased from the houses.

She also said that cohabitation is mostly done by the youth who do not want to stay at their villages. “Most of the people who cohabit are the ones that want to stay in towns without the means of livelihood,” she said. Mojuta encouraged parents to join hands with traditional leaders and advise these young women accordingly.