The Sunday Mail
Sekuru Friday Chisanyu Tracing African Roots
WHETHER people like it or not traditional ethics and beliefs are the basic bricks for preservation of African marriages. There are major factors being ignored and taken as minor yet they have great impact on African traditional marriages. There are people who should play roles from both the bride and the groom’s sides, discussing issues in the background.
Long back there were rules and regulations involving elders, practitioners of traditional medicine and spirit mediums to regulate marriage systems. Before marrying, a man went through serious premarital induction on importance of marriage in line with his life, family and community. The same applied with the woman. This was done to provide enough knowledge to lovers before they got married.
Both the family of the man and woman consulted traditional practitioners to see if the prospective union was compatible.
They married for love but love was not the only factor that sustained a marriage.
Spiritual practitioners would look into the couple’s individual lives to see if there were other factors that could disturb the marriage in future, like anti-marriage spirits.
They would deal with these spirits and free the couple of their hindrances before their union.
Marriage was considered crucial, unlike these days where people are considering marrying a rich man for the lobola not for future sustainability of the marriage.
Special precautions were made as to whom to approach when couples faced challenges in the progression of their marriages.
This role was played by the aunts and uncles, who provided support as advisors. Sometimes they approached traditional medical practitioners if crisis persisted in a marriage.
Totems and clans were taken into consideration before marriages because there are people who are not supposed to marry each other as they are considered to be related.
There are also religious beliefs which barred them from marrying each other. If these rules were broken, such marriages were unsustainable.
In most African traditional marriages, use of love potions was highly recommended openly, without fear, as a way of preserving marriages.
Use of traditional medicine promoting sexual activity was important. The use of runyoka spells on couples was also another measure taken to preserve marriages.
People used to marry from the same communities, being fully aware of each other’s backgrounds and as neighbours who respected each other.
Nowadays, due to the evolving of religions and laws, aunts and uncles are no longer able to perform their roles in marriages leading to confusion and eventual breakdown of the institution.
The use of love potions nowadays is regarded as unholy yet it binds couples and their families forever.
Sekuru Friday Chisanyu is president of the Zimbabwe National Practitioners Association.
