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 Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter

GROWING up in the rural areas one often wondered why elders would sing sometimes incoherent songs, usually starting just a short distance before arriving home every time they returned from a beer binge.

 The songs, most of the times, were not choreographed but of course they were full of meaning, sending a statement to a fellow villager or even someone within the family. To an unknowing and unsuspecting innocent mind, the singing would naturally be a result of the binge which makes the imbiber excited.

 Those who grew up in rural areas will attest to this belief.

There is however a belief that the singing was not as a result of one’s level of inebriation but was meant to warn strangers at the home that the father of the house is on his way home.

 Elders seemed to believe that their wives were not saints and as such suspected they could cheat on them hence the warning to chase away the boyfriends.

 “The singing was sort of a warning that whoever had sneaked into the home, be it to have a nice time with his wife or daughter, must quickly depart,” says Chief Nelukoba of Dete in Hwange district, Matabeleland North.

 He said the belief was that men should avoid meeting their rivals or boyfriends of their daughters and this culture preserved marriages. Chief Nelukoba said this is the reason why there were few cases  of murder over infidelity.

 “In those days it was rare to hear of matrimonial squabbles leading to divorce as a result of infidelity.

Murder cases as a result of infidelity were also very few compared to nowadays. These days hardly a day passes without hearing a murder case over infidelity or divorce,” said Chief Nelukoba.

 He said while infidelity can never be condoned, the low numbers of divorce cases back in the days was as a result of the ‘singing’ to warn intruders.

 “These days people actually prepare to literally sneak into their homes with the sole intention of catching their cheating wives redhanded. The wives working from outside town or village also do the same because they want to catch their cheating husbands redhanded. When visiting, their husbands are shocked to receive the message on their phones: ‘sengisegedini’, said Chief Nelukoba.

 He however acknowledged that a number of societal challenges like the fear of contracting diseases has led to couples being more vigilant and sometimes applying unorthodox means to protect their territories.

 Chief Masendu of Bulilima in Matabeleland South said the singing was a warning that any shenanigans which might have been happening in the absence of the father must immediately stop.

 “That culture kept homes intact, the singing was to make sure that there was order at the home and even misbehaving children stopped their mischief each time they heard the singing,” said Chief Masendu.

 He therefore bemoaned cultural erosion that has led to many key and necessary traditional norms being abandoned by the present generation.

 “Infidelity is as old as the human race, isn’t they say, isela ngelibanjiweyo. Our traditions tried to avoid situations whereby husbands caught their cheating wives redhanded as this resulted in the break up of marriages,” said Chief Masendu.

 According to official statistics, there were 1 351 divorce cases filed in the High Court last year compared to 1 117 in 2020. Marriage officials and counsellors blamed infidelity and social media as the major reasons for divorce.

 Harare had the highest number of cases, 724, followed by Bulawayo with 263 while Masvingo and Mutare recorded 75 and 55 cases respectively.