Kenyan housewife Wanjiru, 80, during an interview about her polygamous marriage at the women鈥檚 charity Daughters of Mumbi Resource Center in Kiambu county in Kenya on July 3, 2018. Nita Bhalla/Thomson Reuters Foundation
BUKAVU, DR Congo 鈥� 鈥淚 can get married again 鈥� the dream is to get to seven wives,鈥� said Congolese church pastor Chirhuza Zagabe, a husband to four spouses and father of 16 children.
In 2012, the 60-year-old married three women simultaneously in his church in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. He repudiated one for 鈥渂ad behavior鈥�, but now has four aged between 26 and 48 through other marriages.
Zagabe鈥檚 situation shows that polygamy persists in the vast central African country, where advocates strongly back the practice of being married to more than one person despite it having been officially outlawed for more than three decades.
Around two percent of the world鈥檚 population live in polygamous households, according to the American think tank, Pew Research Center.
The practice is most widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 11 percent of the population live in polygamous households.
The proportion in DR Congo is two percent. Examples abound of Congolese men boasting about having a 鈥渟econd office鈥� that everyone is aware of 鈥� even their first spouse.
When a video purporting to show a man marrying three women at the same time was posted on YouTube last month, the video went viral on social media.
It told the story of a young Congolese man who supposedly fell in love with a woman who had two look-alikes that were so convincing he ended up marrying all three.
It was false 鈥� but viewers apparently believed the story.
Some comments pitied the alleged groom. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to suffer鈥�, wrote one reviewer. 鈥淲e will have seen it all,鈥� said another, while an admirer remarked: 鈥淭he lad is strong.鈥�
A cinema director from the eastern city of Goma revealed he was behind the film, which he says was based on a true story and used actors to raise the issue of polygamy.
Traditional culture
Every Sunday, Zagabe explains and praises the merits of polygamy in the Lord鈥檚 Primitive Church, which was established in 1983 and is one of DR Congo鈥檚 many religious sects.
A few dozen of his flock eagerly listen to his preaching in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, with women on one side of the central aisle and men on the other.
Zagabe鈥檚 sermon claims humanity鈥檚 story started with one male and several females. 鈥淚nstead of living in adultery and debauchery, God authorised man to have several wives,鈥� he told AFP.
Three of the pastor鈥檚 wives live with him in Bukavu and the fourth in Bujumbura in neighbouring Burundi.
But other Christians challenge Zagabe鈥檚 interpretation of polygamy鈥檚 divinely ordained roots.
鈥淧olygamy is a human institution that goes far back in our traditional African and Congolese culture. It鈥檚 not a divine institution,鈥� said Raymond Kongolo, a Catholic priest in Bukavu.
DR Congo鈥檚 constitution and family code have clearly stated since 1987 that polygamy is an offence, according to Joseph Yav, a lawyer and law professor in the southern city of Lubumbashi.
鈥淢arriage in DR Congo is monogamous,鈥� he stressed. But polygamy 鈥渋s present and practised in Congolese traditions, notwithstanding the formal legal ban鈥�.
鈥楤lessed by God鈥�
Among Zagabe鈥檚 congregation was Kalungu Kalebe, who has two wives and eight children. Rather than transgressing the law, the 40-year-old believes he is 鈥渂lessed by God鈥�.
鈥淚 must follow David, Abraham and Solomon, who married several wives,鈥� he said, referring to Biblical prophets.
Fellow parishioner Nathanaelle, 15, said she was 鈥渞eady鈥� to wed a man with other wives. 鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 bother me at all,鈥� she added.
Rakel, one of Zagabe鈥檚 wives, sees the children of his other spouses as her own, in addition to the three offspring she has borne him.
Another of Zagabe鈥檚 wives, Yaelle, said she lives in harmony with his other spouses. But she noticed that neighbours who used to visit her when she was the only wife in the household have since stopped coming. 鈥淭hey fled from us,鈥� Yaelle said.
鈥淭his polygamy business is a deviation in our society, it鈥檚 unthinkable!鈥� said Nicolas Lubala, a 42-year-old Catholic who accuses the Kinshasa-headquartered Primitive Church of 鈥渃ontributing to moral depravation鈥�.
Mathilde, 23, was clear that marrying a bigamous man was 鈥渋mpossible鈥�. 鈥淚n polygamy, there are too many problems, discord between the wives, the children,鈥� she said.
But 鈥渋f the man has money and other wives, getting attached to him isn鈥檛 troubling鈥�.
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