Divorce can be tamed

Mmegi Editor | Tuesday February 21, 2017 11:43

We assume that he meant the cases that have been concluded and couples having finally gone separate ways.  The Chief Justice did not go into detail as to what the main causes of the recorded cases are, or what age groups are the most affected.  Of course it is not his responsibility to do that.

This is a huge number and should worry anybody who cares about the institution of marriage and family.  The figure also means that an increasing number of children are to be affected by the choices of those couples.

Even high is the number of people, extended family members who got to know each other during the preparations for, and post the wedding ceremony.  The relations borne out of that marriage will then have to come to an abrupt end, in some instances turning entirely sour.  There are many causes of divorce some as a result of adultery, alcohol and drug abuse, step parenting, and even rushing into marriage.  Others include family members who interfere in the affairs of married couples to a point that they encourage the other partner to leave the union.

In addition, there is a new trend that has found its way into our society where people get married for material benefit, both men and women. There are many instances where one party goes into the marriage to benefit from material wealth that his/her partner has acquired and such marriages have a very short lifespan because they are not borne out of love. 

They do that fully aware that when things go sour, the wealth will be shared among the estranged partners irrespective of the contributions made by each. Some people do not have the shame as they hop from union to another within short space of time.

All the aforementioned scenarios can be prevented to reduce the number of divorces in our country.  Aspiring husbands and wives should take their time to appreciate the kind of person they intend to marry, their family background and upbringing, as well as their behaviour.

 Secondly, time has come for us to review the whole process of bringing two people together into marriage. Our country is made up of diverse cultures, but there is a lot of tribal intermarriages, which can in one way or the other contribute to couple’s irreconcilable differences once in a marriage.We have to be flexible and embrace changes taking place in our society that we have no control over.

While it is important for family to try and reconcile estranged couples, they should also desist from interfering in their affairs.  We need a national pitso on this topic to find possible answers because family is a very important element of nation-building.

Today’s thought

“Family is the most important thing in the world.” 

– Princess Diana