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Cuthbert Mavheko

Since time immemorial, the institution of marriage has been the glue that cements and holds society together.

Thousands of books and articles have been written to try and steer people away from the pitfalls of divorce.

However, the staggering escalation of divorces in Zimbabwe in recent years now poses a serious threat to the survival of the institution of marriage.

While addressing hordes of women who attended a Women’s League National Assembly meeting at the Zanu-PF headquarters in Harare a few years ago, Mr Robert Mugabe, then president, expressed concern over the high rate of divorce which is destroying many families in Zimbabwe.

“It is disturbing that the rate of divorce in the country is increasing at an alarming rate. Couples who face problems should approach elders for counselling other than resorting to divorce,” he said.

It is important to note that when a couple divorces, children are plunged into a vortex of insecurity, left to face a harsh and cruel future in a one-parent family.

Some children run away from home to eke out a miserable living on the streets.

But what caused the break-up of the marriage? Was it adultery, a meddling mother-in-law or did the couple not get on well together?

No sane person would deny that any of these factors could have contributed to the divorce.

Be that as it may, there is a general consensus among some clergymen that radical feminism is the root cause of divorce in Zimbabwe.

“In our day, men and women knew their rightful places in the home and society in general. People believed that the man’s role as father and head of the family was God-given and therefore immutable.

Because men and women knew and kept their rightful places in marriage and in society in general; there was stability in marriage and divorce was unheard of.

When couples took their marriage vows in church it was always “till death do us part”, said Elder Elliot Sibanda, a director of public affairs in the Bulawayo Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Father Alexander Mukaro of the Roman Catholic Church expressed similar sentiments.

“It is clear from our observation as Christians that most marriages are ending in divorce because women no longer respect and submit to their husbands as they used to do in the golden past. Marriage was created by God and efforts by some women to reverse roles in the home is proving disastrous and destroying most marriages,” he said.

As a signatory to the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Discrimination against Women, Zimbabwe has crafted a myriad of policies that redress past imbalances and ensure that women enjoy equality before the law.

Sadly though, while the Government has done much to create equality between the sexes, women seem to have completely misunderstood and misconstrued the concept of gender equality.

Over the years, I have listened to debates and seminars on the subject of equal rights.

I have also perused through feminist literature on the same subject and the impression I got is that women are waging a silent war against men.

What feminists reveal in their literature is not only mind boggling; it does not leave one to any imagination whatsoever in terms of their goals and objectives.

Feminists have outlined clear-cut policies on how they intend to attain total equality with men in every facet of life.

First and foremost, they aver that marriage is archaic and oppressive since women are required to always submit to their husbands.

They challenge the age-old maxim that women can only be accepted in marriage as long as they remain subservient sexually, submissive, faithful and obedient to their husbands.

Conversely, radical feminists are advocating for a change in partnership, cohabitation and same-sex relationships as alternatives to life-long commitment in marriage.

What a shocking state of affairs!

Today the atmosphere in Zimbabwe is saturated with protest and revolt against anything that appears to discriminate against women.

There is no grievance so widespread as that against the Christian church.

Feminists have poured scorn on the existence of the Creator God and rejected His written word, the Holy Bible, arguing that it oppresses women.

The tragic result is that their perceptions about what is right and wrong have become distorted.

No wonder why they now ridicule and scoff at faithful commitment and fidelity in marriage.

Lest my real intentions are misconstrued, let me hasten to point out that I have no qualms about women’s quest for gender balance per se.

I believe it is a noble cause. However, it is my considered opinion that their struggle for gender equality has lost direction as it has been hijacked by radical feminists, who are using it as a springboard to destabilise marriage and the family unit.

Feminists have become so radical in their approach to gender issues that they have misconstrued equal rights to denote the right to abort and the right for married women to have boyfriends.

One of the loudest voices being heard in the country today is that of husbands protesting through radio, social media,TV and newspapers that feminist ideology is wreaking havoc in their families and causing their spouses to disrespect and view them, not as partners, but as adversaries to be resisted and fought against at any given opportunity, even in bed.

For instance, if a husband demands his conjugal rights from his spouse and she snubs him, then that is the end of the matter because doing otherwise is considered rape.

This is clear testimony that feminists are fanning flames of rebellion against men which have the potential to obliterate marriage and the family unit.

The crusade against marriage and the family unit being waged by radical feminists has been fuelled and accorded impetus by some philosophers and psychiatrists who cling with the tenacity of savanna ticks to the ancient Darwinian fable, which postulates that mankind is merely the highest development of the animal kingdom and that somewhere along the evolutionary trail, mankind started marriage as a mere custom.

It is impossible to understand the origins, meaning and purpose of marriage and the family unit without first accepting that God exists and that the Holy Bible is indeed His written word.

In their educated ignorance, the most highly educated of this sick world, rely on the false evolutionary theory as their basic premise and approach to all knowledge.

By rejecting the Holy Bible, they are foolishly throwing away the very key that would have given them insight into the true origins and purposes of marriage and the family unit.

Alas, having denied the existence of God, higher education is adrift on a turbulent sea of false premises and hypotheses, driven by the whirlwinds of fluctuating trends.

In signing out, let me point out that God created marriage and the family unit for the nurturing and training of children (Proverbs 22:6).

The home and family are the basis of a decent society. The qualities of patience, honesty, dependability, personal integrity etc do not come by chance but are taught in a happy and stable family relationship.

This is one of the major reasons why God created marriage and the family unit.

Cuthbert Mavheko is a freelance journalist based in Bulawayo who has contributed articles to The Chronicle, Sunday News and other publications since 1995. He can be contacted via e-mail [email protected]