The wealthor bride price is a common cultural practice in most of African tribes. It is the payments made by groom’s family to bride’s family in the form of money or commodities including cattle for marriage.
The practice has different names in among tribes,butthe meaning is almost the same. For example, it is called mahali in Swahili language and Labola in Zulu and Xhosa languages in South Africa.
Bride wealth is a token of gratitude for the care over bride and for allowing her to become a wife to the groom. It binds two families together and legitimizes the marriage. This was its key meaning in the ancient African societies. Woman were never bought or sold in the ancient African culture. Marriage is a serious contract involving families rather than the marriage couple alone as often understood in western contexts. Bride wealth was a family authorizing tool suggesting that the marriage has taken place so that the groom has marital rights over the bride.
The bride wealth is an ethical practice because there is no contradiction with the word of God; instead actions equivalent tothe bride wealth were practicedin the Bible times. (Gen. 34:11-12; Deut. 22:29; 1 Sam. 18:25). Bride wealth is a sign of a serious contract of marriage in African societies, sign is very important in covenants as we read in the Bible signs were accompanied with the covenants those God made with our ancient fathers. (Gen. 9:12;17: 10; Mark. 14:23-25).
Unfortunately, the bride wealth has been abused in the contemporary African societies, for its meaning and practice.Women are treated as commodities being sold and bought.Those who cannot afford bride wealth end up in cohabitation or marriage being impossible. We hear about some Churches refuse to marry a couple if bride price has not been paid; this makes the matter even worst. We should think deeper about the meaning and decide the best way of doing it. We should rethink and have meaning for doing it also makes it not a burden to the grooms or an insult to the women.
We cannot avoid cultural and traditional changes;some changes areresults of positive development. But the changes of the meaning of bride wealthfor making women be as commodities, makes it being unethical practice. Our motives in whatever we do should be glorifying God. (1 Cor. 10:31)
By. Godfrey Sehaba
