Thabo Mbeki slams modern lobola practices

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki has expressed strong disapproval for the modern practices surrounding lobola (bride price).

Mbeki agreed with Umkhokha actor Mbuso Khoza, who recently labelled lobola as a scam.

In a candid conversation during the Isandlwana Lecture this weekend, Mbeki argued that the traditional meaning and function of lobola have been corrupted over time. During his speech at the Joburg Theatre, Mbeki reflected on his mother's teachings about the origins of lobola.

“Let me tell you a story before I disappear. What my mother told me. My mother said the customs of ukulobola have been corrupted,” said Mbeki.

He went on to explain that originally lobola served a protective and practical purpose for children born out of wedlock. “It was insurance for the children that would be born out of a marriage. That is why the most important person for the children is not your father; it's the brothers [of] the mother.”

He said the lobola paid during a marriage was traditionally given to the mother's brothers. 

“When the lobola is paid, it's to the brothers [of] the mother and they keep it. So that if there's a crisis in the family, and the children and the mother have to leave to go back to the home of the mother, that lobola is there to look after those children. It was like insurance for those children.”

He argued that the modern-day practices of lobola have diverged from this original intent.

“Why are we celebrating these traditions and cultures and so on?” he asked.

Both Mbeki and Khoza’s comments call for a reassessment of lobola’s place in contemporary society, urging a return to the tradition's roots — one that provides security for the children and mother in the event of marital breakdowns.

“Lotsholwa, not so that the brothers must go and drink but in order that this money and whatever is kept. So that in case the mother quarrels with the father, she can take her children home. And it’s not a bad thing, going home,” said Mbeki.

The Isandlwana Lecture is an event that honours the historic Zulu victory over the British at the Battle of Isandlwana in 1879. The lecture, a fusion of storytelling and music, celebrates Zulu culture and heritage. 

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