Polygamy in Zimbabwe

Polygamy is the practice of having more than one spouse; while prohibited under Zimbabwean civil law, polygamous marriages may be performed under the country's customary law. Less than one-fifth of the country's population are engaged in polygamy.

In Zimbabwean civil law, the Marriage Act of Zimbabwe only recognises monogamous marriages.^[1] However, the majority of marriages in Zimbabwe are customary; the relevant African Marriages Act of Zimbabwe recognises both polygamous and "potentially polygamous" unions. Most of these customary marriages are unregistered.^[2]

Polygamy in Zimbabwe was traditionally practised by the tribal chiefs as a means of elevating their social standing, though they would typically only take two or three wives.^[3] According to a 2008 William & Mary Law School study, an estimated 18 percent of Zimbabwean women belong to polygamous marriages.^[2] The study suggested that there may be a decrease in the incidence of polygamy in Zimbabwe due to an ever-weakening economy that would not enable men to financially support multiple partners.^[2]

Polygamy in Zimbabwe has been criticised by various mainstream Christian groups that 80 percent of the country identify with.^[2] A 2008 study by the University of Fort Hare stated that polygamy was more prevalent in rural Zimbabwe and especially among the Shona people; it also argued that "polygamy ... seems to propagate child sexual abuse in schools because it sees no boundary between adults and children."^[4]

In September 2012, Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai customarily married Elizabeth Macheka, following a court ruling that he could not legally marry her in light of his already being engaged to two other women, Locardia Karimatsenga and Nosipho Regina Shilubane. However, a spokesperson for Tsvangirai said that the prime minister only wished to have one wife.^[5]