Abstract
This chapter argues that marriage in Africa has lost its meaning because of the extrinsic value that people have placed on it. The chapter further argues that marriage has ceased to be the coming together of two families but has become a money-making escapade where daughters have a worth that can be put in monetary terms. It also analyses the consequences that may arise from putting such extrinsic value on a human being. Drawing lessons from Kant’s categorical imperative as well as other models of determining human worth, the chapter concludes that the practice of lobola should be abolished altogether since it amounts to putting monetary value on a person’s head.
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Notes
- 1.
By quality here is implied a situation where a bride may have been sent to more reputable schools or even abroad for her education.
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Zimunya, C.T., Hatendi, C. (2021). An Enquiry into the Value of Human Life: The Lobola Perspective. In: Togarasei, L., Chitando, E. (eds) Lobola (Bridewealth) in Contemporary Southern Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59523-4_20
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