MBABANE – There are over 50 divorces per month, says the Ministry of Home Affairs first quarter report for the 2026/27 financial year.
In April, it is said 54 ended their marriage, 56 in May and 54 in June, which tallies 164. This is a decline of 45 as 209 were recorded in the same period last year. To this, Tati TaseSwatini and the Witchdoctors Association Chairman, Makhanya Makhanya has expressed the view that many people are divorcing because they wish to ‘fly’ without having wings. Makhanya was reacting to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ first quarter report to Parliament for the 2026/27 financial year. The report pointed out that the ministry responsible for the registration of birth, marriage and death recorded 164 divorces in three months.
When asked to clarify his statement, Makhanya explained that he meant individuals rush into marriage without following the proper procedures outlined in Eswatini Laws and Customs.
He said the failure to adhere to these procedures often results in casual relationships known locally as umjolo being registered as marriages. He said without adhering to the laid down procedure, people will ‘fly’ and ‘fall’, meaning they will not succeed.
According to Makhanya, Eswatini law and custom requires that a man engage with his proposed in-laws and formally express his intention to marry their child. He said this process involves a negotiation, known as kucela, which typically entails offering a cow as a bride price, allowing the in-laws to open up and discuss their child’s future.
“The first engagement creates a bond between the two families and attracts blessings that serve as guidance for the marriage,” he said. Makhanya cautioned that when individuals abuse their right to marry, they tend to overlook these rightful procedures and rush to register casual relationships as marriages. He said some enter into marriage without involving their families, resulting in the union lacking support.
He emphasised that a couple cannot withstand the tests of time without guidance and support from both families. He illustrated that in cases of disputes or disagreements, the families should intervene to restore peace and resolve issues amicably.
Makhanya also highlighted the problem of couples rushing into marriage without paying the dowry (emalobolo), stating that a marriage cannot be blessed or deemed valid without the payment of dowry, which serves to strengthen the bond between the two families. He appealed to pastors and counsellors to remind and emphasise the importance of dowry payments after officiating marriages.
Furthermore, Makhanya pointed out some loopholes in Western-style marriages under the community of property system. He viewed such marriages as tools that can be exploited to unfairly deprive one partner of their property. He argued that it is unjust for someone who contributed nothing during the marriage to leave with an equal share of its benefits upon its dissolution.
He lamented that for some, marriage has become a form of daylight robbery, with individuals resorting to divorce rather than resolving their marital issues.
“Kutsatsana kuhlanganisa imindeni, lokusho kutsi kuyohlala kunikwana imilomo lapho kungeviwana khona, hhayi kwehlukana,” he loosely translated as: “Marriage is about bringing two families together, which means there will be dialogue in case of disagreements, not separation.”
Reverend Sandile Sibandze stated that love no longer holds any real value, leading to people entering and exiting relationships frequently. He stated that being involved in multiple relationships with different individuals weakens the ability to outgrow old habits, even within marriage. The clergyman explained that some people enter into marriage merely to spite their former lovers, which often results in failure. He also noted that it is difficult to offer further advice, as pastors and counsellors have tried their best to guide couples in the right direction.Worth noting is that in many cases, adultery, desertion, financial abuse, verbal abuse and physical abuse are the reason people particularly women wants out of marriage.
