Bukavu (DR Congo) (AFP) – “I’m able to get is to find to seven spouses,” said Congolese church pastor Chirhuza Zagabe, a husband to help you four spouses and dad away from 16 pupils.
During the 2012, the 60-year-dated hitched three female simultaneously inside the chapel when you look at the east Popular Republic out of Congo. The guy repudiated you to to have “crappy behaviour”, but now keeps four old ranging from 26 and you can forty-eight through other marriage ceremonies.
Zagabe’s situation implies that polygamy lasts on the huge main African country, in which supporters strongly back the practice of having a wedding to much more than one person even with they having been officially banned for lots more than just three decades.
To a couple of % of one’s earth’s population inhabit polygamous domiciles, according to Western think-tank, Pew Browse Heart.
The brand new habit is really extensive inside the sandwich-Saharan Africa, in which an estimated eleven per cent of people reside in polygamous houses.
New ratio into the DR Congo is actually one or two per cent. Advice abound away from Congolese men featuring about with an excellent “second work environment” that everyone is aware of — also their very first spouse.
Polygamy was really common in the sub-Saharan Africa, in which a projected eleven percent of your own inhabitants live in polygamous properties Guerchom NDEBO AFP
Whenever a video clip purporting to exhibit a man elizabeth day is posted to the YouTube history few days, this new movies went viral to your social network.
It advised the storyline of an early Congolese guy just who allegedly fell so in love with a lady who’d several browse-alikes that were therefore convincing he ended up marrying all of the three.
Certain statements pitied the fresh so-called groom. “He’s going to sustain”, composed one to customer. “We will see seen it all,” said an alternative, when you find yourself a fan remarked: “The chap is actually strong.”
A cinema manager from the east town of Goma shown the guy was trailing the movie, that he says is actually centered on a genuine tale and you may put actors to increase the problem away from polygamy.
Antique community
All of the Week-end, Zagabe shows you and praises this new deserves away from polygamy throughout the Lord’s Ancient Church, that has been created in 1983 which is one of DR Congo’s of several spiritual sects.
A few dozen of his head eagerly tune in to their preaching when you look at the Bukavu, the administrative centre out-of Southern area Kivu getbride.org link state, which have feminine on one side of central section and guys on the other side.
Zagabe’s sermon claims humanity’s story already been having you to definitely male and many women. “As opposed to residing adultery and you may debauchery, Goodness authorised guy getting several wives,” he told AFP.
“Polygamy are a person institution one to happens far back within our antique African and you may Congolese culture. It is really not an effective divine organization,” told you Raymond Kongolo, a great Catholic priest into the Bukavu.
DR Congo’s composition and you will nearest and dearest code has actually obviously stated just like the 1987 you to definitely polygamy is actually an offence, considering Joseph Yav, a legal professional and you will law teacher on the southern city of Lubumbashi.
‘Blessed because of the God’
Among Zagabe’s congregation is actually Kalungu Kalebe, who’s several wives and eight students. Instead of transgressing what the law states, the newest 40-year-dated believes he or she is “privileged because of the Goodness”.
Fellow parishioner Nathanaelle, fifteen, told you she try “ready” so you can get married a guy together with other spouses. “That does not annoy myself after all,” she extra.
Rakel, one of Zagabe’s spouses, notices the children out-of their most other spouses due to the fact her own, plus the about three offspring she has borne your.
A new out-of Zagabe’s spouses, Yaelle, said she resides in balance with his other partners. However, she noticed that neighbours which accustomed see their own whenever she is actually really the only spouse in the family has actually once the prevented future. “It fled out-of us,” Yaelle said.
“That it polygamy business is a departure inside our neighborhood, it is out of the question!” said Nicolas Lubala, a beneficial 42-year-old Catholic which accuses brand new Kinshasa-based Ancient Chapel from “leading to ethical depravation”.