It was a moment of joy and laughter when couples stood up to identify themselves and take their positions for their marriages to be contracted. The couples were of different ages, young people, old people; some beautifully dressed in semi wedding gowns, suits while some dressed casually. They were some who opted for polygamy but majority opted for monogamy.
Collective marriage was initiated in 2007 by the Ministry of women Affairs and the Promotion of the Family, to wipe out cohabitation which is commonly known as ‘come we stay’. According to the Divisional Delegate of Women Affairs and the Promotion of the Family, Madam Kenfah Tiawoun Pascale, the collective marriage can solve certain social problems like violence, abandoning woman with children and instability of the family. She added that it is in this light that the ministry is encouraging men and women to solemnize their union so as to have security. The objective of the collective marriage she said is not just the event and the celebration but to awaken the consciences of each partner to take up responsibilities in the family.
At the Ngwele Civil Council, the Civil Council Officer Ndafeut Robert organized the first edition of collective marriage on the 19th December 2008 with 53 couples, the second on the 27th March 2009 with 65 couples, the third edition with 76 couples and this time it is the fourth edition with 80 couples.
After the solemnisation and the exchange of rings, the couples were encouraged to also dialogue because it is the best way to solve misunderstandings among them. They were advised never to visit witch doctors to get love charm to keep each partner together. The parents were encouraged to show love to their children and concern as they bring them up. The women were also told how to dress up so as to seduce their husbands at home and what to do to flatter their husbands. Talking to Godlove Bai and Ndula prudencia, they had dated each other for eight years and the relationship produced a baby girl. The man travelled to Norway and has returned to take away the mother of his baby and the event of collective marriage was joy to him to get wedded to her without much constrains. One of the men who signed for polygamy, Diffo Justin, 39, said he had time to study his wives first before deciding to take both of them before the civil council.
