Let's Respect The Sanctity Of Marriage

Monitor Editor | Monday May 7, 2018 11:38

While some have welcomed it with open arms, others seemed irked by the ruling, which in their view will encourage promiscuity. A lot of people seem to have translated the ruling anyhow they see fit or to their liking. It has been said time and again that divorce cases in Botswana are high, and laws such as the one Justice Moroka is terming outdated don’t seem to be helping.

The high rate of divorce is worrisome, and as a society we need to put our heads together and address the issue.

People seem not respect the marriage institution anymore, which has led to divorce becoming normalised as part of life. While adultery contributes to this sad state of affairs, it is not the only cause of failed marriages.

It is not uncommon for both married individuals to have boyfriend(s) or girlfriend(s), and some of them have casualised marriage so much that they do their cheating publicly, and flaunt it for everyone to see.

Back to Moroka judgement; there are some people who seem to have misunderstood it, and seem to translate it to mean the judge is disregarding the marriage institution, which is not the case.

In his judgement, the Justice Moroka clearly explained how the ruling came about.

“The future of marriage and strong families lie in strong values and the readiness of the married partners to abide by the marriage vows and not in fear of sanctions…The strength of the society and its longevity lies not in threats or fear of sanctions, but in the willingness of the citizenry to protect the institution upon which society is founded.”

He emphasised the need for moral regeneration to strengthen the moral fibre of society, adding that traditional leaders, religious leaders, and all civil society formations must be mobilised to revive ebbing moral standards. The judgement questions punishing the third party, while the cheating partner is not held accountable for their actions.

This in all honesty comes across as very unfair, because it takes two to tango, and as much as no one can argue that both the third party and cheating spouse are in the wrong, it seems absurd, for the blame to be placed on the third party only.

In cases where the couple is married in community of property, the cheating spouse would not only walk scot free, but also enjoy the money collected from the third party. It is also happened many times where, the cheating spouse, ends up being the one who pays the penalty imposed on the third party.