Pan Africanism : Lets talk marriage....

mkhaya lo'

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Dec 1, 2001
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Rand Park Ridge, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Occupation
Journalist
South Africa is bordered by a couple of country's one of which is Swaziland. Now Swaziland is a Mornachy and the king commands the highest respect and somewhat authority in the country...but of interest is the king and his wives. King Mswati 111 marries a new bride each year and this year's occurances have been very interesting....

Each year, the The Royal Swazi house hosts a reed dance, which is where all eligable young virgins perform this dance for the king-where he usually spots the woman he wants as his bride. This year, 18 year old Zena Mahlangu was chosen as the bride..The king had his Royal gaurds abduct the girl from school and took her to a private venue where Zena and two other girls where kept. Zena's mother then took the King to court to protest against the abduction of her daughter from school. Now, you need to understand that the king is the be all and end all in Swaziland and never in the country's history has the kings decision been contested.

THe court case continued in the Swazi high court and it surfaced that Zena had a boyfriend that she had been dating for over a year. SHe now had to leave him to marry the king. NO word though had come from the royal compound where the girl was being kept. The mother claimed that her daughter had no desire to marry the king and was coming to South Africa to study Psychology. NOw, its alleged that young virgins do not remain virgins for long in the compound where they are kept-don't ask me what happens....shhh!

Eventually, Zena released a statement saying that she "was in love with the king" and very much wanted to marry him. Now this is after the case had been in court for at least two weeks. Her mother, obviously shocked by the revelation, withdraw the case from court-but not before the king apparently put pressure on the courts to throw the case out.

A week ago, the king made his first public with his "fiance' " . She is set to become the 11th wife. Now, its questionable whether Zena really did want to marry the king. SHe appeared calm but not overly excited. I'm not convinced she wants this marriage, I think more than anything, as an 18 year old, the excitement of marrying a King and living a lavish lifestyle is fascinating...In as much as this case was publised in the media, many women do go through this and sometimes the woman actually does want to marry the king and does so willingly. But in other cases, the women have no choice...

One the one hand its a issue of human rights...but on the one hand its upholding your African traditional culture if you come from a tribe that does practise this marriage style..it happens in many parts of Africa and indeed in South Africa we do have a Mornachy-The Zulu Mornachy, but South Africa is a democracy so the king kindda works in conjunction with the government..though traditional leaders and the government are sometimes at loggerheads, I think it works..

I feel for poor Zena,she says she knows what she's doing, but then again she's only 18. And there is no divorce once youv'e married the king-at least its never happened before...it would be interesting if it would happened...what do u folks think?

ps: I broke up with my boyfriend today, you know, the one that got arrested a few weeks ago? yeah, but I still love him dearly though...maybe I should find me a rich king !

lo'
 
Tradition or tribal custom is a powerful beast. When it "rears it's ugly head" it can mean life or death in many parts of the world. So MIGHT be the case here if Zana EEEEEEEEEVER seeks to leave the king.

Sure she is 18. Sure she is young and probably impressed with the material wealth that lies before her. She could be choosing between death in barren, desert land and a life of luxury with servants and wealth and a husband that has other wives. Her choice will determine her fate. Is it right or wrong? Don't really know for what may be wrong for me, from an American Christian paradigm, may be ideal for her from an African paradigm.

I think as Americans (and as the world becomes more American-ized) we can really sit in judgement of other societies, cultures, customs, traditions etc. But I don't know that we, in our selfishness and lasiviousness, can really be a moral judge here.

Check this..... 51% of our marriages end in divorce. Even in the church (among christian couples) it is 51%. We love them and leave them more that any other society on the face of the earth.
I don't know- but we ain't so clean in this area - matter of fact - we need some real help and healing. We need some Jesus!

I submit, for your consideration, that marriage, while love is important, is more about COMMITTMENT and RESPECT. If the King and Zana can maintain a committment to their union throught thick and thin, and respect one another, even in the midst of other wives, (as their culture dictates - and note that most American wives are not the "only wife" scripturally for the bible says "if a man has joined himself unto a whore, then he is espoused to her and American infidelity rates are worse than our divorce rates...) they can still have a happy life.
 
I think that truelly time will tell....Klab' I must admit that I also believe in the more Christian view of marriage that each man to his wife and vise versa....simply because if they can't contain their sexual wants and desires as young single God serving people, they should then Get married.

This whole issue waits to be seen, But I rather think this whole thing is hilarious!! :)
 

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