A man in Mozambique’s southern province of Inhambane had to pay the
traditional bride price, locally known as “lobolo”, for a dead woman at
the weekend, Mozambique’s state radio reports.
After the woman died because of complications during childbirth, her
relatives forced her young partner to pay the “lobolo”, warning that she
would not be buried otherwise.
The relatives accused the young man of failing to fulfill his
obligations, including being introduced to the woman’s relatives, before
the tragedy occurred.
To ensure that the funeral took place, the young man says he had to buy
clothes and shoes for his dead wife, agree to pay more than $800 , and
hold a symbolic wedding ceremony on 15 December.
A brother to the young man, Irmao do Jovem, explained their dilemma:
We tried to raise the money they demanded, but we could only put
together about $178. So we had to sign a pledge promising to pay the
remaining amount on wedding day, December 15th.”
While the man’s family has conceded to the demands, they condemned the behaviour of the dead woman’s relatives.
However, this is a common practice among some ethnic groups in
Mozambique, especially if a man decides to live with a woman, without
going through all the marriage formalities.
BBC