ZIMBABWEAN MAN MARRIES HIS OWN MOTHER AFTER IMPRÊGNATING HER
By Emmanuel Sixtus.
The Zimbabwean woman and her son claim to be in love with each other and they decided to take their relationship to the next level and get married considering that the mother, Betty Mbereko (from Mwenezi in Masvingo) is now six months pregnant and expecting her son’s child, and her grandchild.
Mbereko, 40, has been a widow for the past 12 years and has been living with her 23-years-old son Farai Mbereko.
She confirmed that she is six months pregnant and that she has decided it is better to “marry” her son because she does not want to marry her late husband’s younger brothers, whom she says are coveting her.
Betty stunned a village court last week when she said the affair with her son had begun three years earlier.
She said after spending a lot of money sending Farai to school following the death of her husband, she felt she had a right to his money and no other woman was entitled to it.
“Look, I struggled alone to send my son to school and no one helped me. Now you see that my son is working and you accuse me of doing something wrong.
“Let me enjoy the products of my sweat,” she told the village court council.
Farai said he was more than prepared to marry his mother and would pay off the lobola balance his father had left unpaid to his grandparents.
“I know my father died before he finished paying the bride price and I am prepared to pay it off,” he said.
“It is better to publicise what is happening because people should know that I am the one who made my mother pregnant. Otherwise they will accuse her of promiscuity.”
But local headman Nathan Muputirwa says: “We cannot allow this to happen in our village, mashura chaiwo aya, (This is a bad omen indeed). In the past they would have to be killed but today we cannot do it because we are afraid of the police.”
He warned them to immediately break off their marriage or leave his village. They chose the latter and have since left the village.
Such practice is considered abomination in African culture, often, such family are banished or separated from the rest of the community.
Incest is rare in Africa, in most cases, incest happen without prior knowledge.
In the case with Farai, his mother may have forced him to engage, with the promise of giving her a lifeline to continue as one family.
The custom that allows uncles and extended families to covet widow of a deceased husband often leads to many issues.
Most women that reject being coveted end up losing the inheritance of her deceased husband, while some are even thrown out of the family.
Nowadays, the culture is gradually changing, with civilization giving women the right to their husband’s inheritance and choice to marry again on stay firm.
But desperation led Farai’s mother into incest, at least, by marrying her son, she stays put, but it has become her worst decision, an act now considered abominable – leading to banishment.
