Bukavu (DR Congo) (AFP) – “I could score is to find in order to 7 wives,” told you Congolese church pastor Chirhuza Zagabe, a husband to four spouses and you may dad off sixteen children.
When you look at the 2012, the sixty-year-old married around three feminine on the other hand in the chapel within the eastern Democratic Republic away from Congo. The guy repudiated that to own “crappy actions”, nevertheless now features five old between twenty-six and forty eight through-other marriage ceremonies.
Zagabe’s condition means that polygamy lasts throughout the big central African nation, in which supporters highly back the practice of having a wedding so you can way more than just someone despite they being officially outlawed for more than 3 decades.
Around several % of one’s earth’s people inhabit polygamous property, with respect to the Western think tank, Pew Search Cardio.
New practice is really prevalent inside sub-Saharan Africa, in which a projected 11 per cent of the population live in polygamous houses.
New proportion when you look at the DR Congo is actually two per cent. Examples are plentiful away from Congolese guys featuring regarding the which have a “next work environment” that everyone is aware of — even the first lover.
Polygamy was really prevalent from inside the sandwich-Saharan Africa, where a projected eleven per cent of the population live in polygamous domiciles Guerchom NDEBO AFP
When videos purporting to show one age go out try printed for the YouTube history times, the fresh new movies ran viral into social media.
It told the story out-of an early on Congolese guy whom purportedly fell so in love with a woman that has two look-alikes which were therefore convincing the guy finished up marrying the about three.
Certain statements pitied the fresh new alleged groom. “He’s going to endure”, typed you to definitely customer. “We will have seen almost everything,” told you another type of, whenever you are an admirer remarked: “Brand new lad are strong.”
A movies director regarding the eastern city of Goma revealed he try behind the film, which he states try according to a true tale and you may made use of actors to raise the challenge out-of polygamy.
Traditional culture
All Week-end, Zagabe shows you and you can praises the latest deserves off polygamy in the Lord’s Ancient Church, that has been created in 1983 which is among DR Congo’s of a lot religious sects.
Several dozen away from his head excitedly tune in to their preaching in the Bukavu, the administrative centre out-of Southern Kivu province, that have feminine on one hand of the main section and you will dudes on the other.
Zagabe’s sermon states humanity’s tale started having one men and several lady. “Instead of located in adultery and debauchery, Jesus authorised people to have multiple spouses,” he informed AFP.
“Polygamy is actually a person establishment one happens hot looking honduran young women far back within our old-fashioned African and you can Congolese society. It is not a great divine establishment,” told you Raymond Kongolo, a good Catholic priest into the Bukavu.
DR Congo’s constitution and you will friends code has clearly mentioned since 1987 you to polygamy is an offence, according to Joseph Yav, a lawyer and you may legislation teacher from the southern city of Lubumbashi.
‘Blessed by the God’
Certainly one of Zagabe’s congregation are Kalungu Kalebe, who may have a couple of wives and you may eight students. Instead of transgressing the law, new forty-year-old thinks he could be “blessed by the Jesus”.
Other parishioner Nathanaelle, fifteen, said she try “ready” in order to get married men with other spouses. “That doesn’t irritate me personally anyway,” she extra.
Rakel, one of Zagabe’s wives, sees the children out of their most other spouses because her very own, as well as the three offspring she’s borne your.
A new from Zagabe’s wives, Yaelle, said she resides in equilibrium together with most other spouses. But she pointed out that neighbors exactly who used to head to their own when she was the only real spouse regarding the domestic possess since eliminated upcoming. “They fled of us,” Yaelle told you.
“Which polygamy business is a deviation inside our area, it is out of the question!” said Nicolas Lubala, a great 42-year-old Catholic who accuses brand new Kinshasa-based Ancient Church out-of “leading to moral depravation”.