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“A number of marriages are failing these days because women believe that they do not need men because they are financially stable.”
Mashudu Mambo
A ROMANTIC ambiance enveloped the room as Bigboy Moyo (71) and Patience Mpofu (68) from Emganwini suburb in Bulawayo narrated their love story.
The couple has been married for 46 years, they are blessed with three children and six grandchildren. Bigboy narrated how he met his wife while he was visiting a neighbouring village in Nkayi, Matabeleland North.
“I met my wife in 1976 while l was visiting a friend. We were lying on the ground under a tree close to a well when I spotted my wife and it was at the first glance that I knew that she was the woman that I wanted to spend my life with.
“I approached her and accompanied her home, this is when she informed me that it was taboo for her to be seen chatting with men in the bush. We arranged a date and I went to her home where I sat on a mat and met up with the elders and told them about my intentions,” he said.
He stated that after some time his wife accepted his proposal and they started dating.
“We started dating and our communication in those days was different. I remember I had to seek some help from my boss and she would be called to the growth point to answer the call. We tied the knot in 1978 and had our first born in 1979,” he said.
Bigboy highlighted the secret to their long-lasting marriage is providing for their family and ensuring that the couple makes decisions together.
“I was a driver and I worked in a number of companies but I made sure that when I got paid my wife was the one who managed the finances. I learnt this from my uncle who told me that the best way to run a family is to ensure that the wife is given money as she is aware of the needs of the family. It is important to ensure that as a couple you make financial decisions together so that you are able to build and invest,” he said.
Patience said when she met her husband his commitment made her realise that he was the right partner for her.
“My husband’s commitment to meeting my family and communicating with me regardless of the distance convinced me that he was serious about the relationship. I realised that he was not stingy and he gave me his salary, he made every possible way to ensure that our family was well taken care of and this strengthened our bond. In 2001, we were blessed and managed to buy a housing stand,” she said.
She stated that a number of marriages fail because women believe that they do not need men.
“A number of marriages are failing these days because women believe that they do not need men because they are financially stable. This generation is different from ours because most of us were housewives and we would try by all means to ensure we resolve our differences with our husbands,” she said.
Mpofu added that the key to a peaceful relationship is respect and loyalty.
“The key to a long-lasting relationship is being loyal and respecting your partner. This has kept us this far because when my husband was travelling to different countries I would wait and remain faithful in his absence,” she said.
Online Reporter