10 December 2021
Londiwe Dube
Culture and Heritage Reporter
The love of money…., and more money has led to the death of a young woman after being spoilt on her birthday.
Having spent, what could be a fortune to some, a young man, who can not be identified, has used his girlfriend for money rituals.
The alleged ritualist is said to have gifted his girlfriend an IPhone 13 and 1 million (currency still not known) on her birthday and later took her life for money making purposes.
The man has since been arrested and is facing charges of murder as viral reports purport that this is not the first time he has done such.
Similar cases have been reported across the world and a number of reasons have been pinpointed as major causes.
Men have mastered the fact that girls are easily lured into ‘relationships’ using money, so they entice such ‘gold diggers’ with expensive gifts and hard cash before they offer them for sacrifice to make more money.
In most cases private parts of the body and other limbs are used to buy lucky charms.
Young people are gradually detaching themselves from their cultural and religious beliefs and doctrines, leading to an “_umhlambi kazelulise-“ kind of generation.
As per Religious teachings, such norms as striving for permanence in relationships and partaking in programs that strengthen relationships are fostered, it is a pity that such doctrines are now ignored and on the same basis, relationships ‘are-a-pick-and-drop’ scenarios.
Religious teachings often provide various types of family support, including places for families to get to know each other and build good relations, they also offer programs for marital and premarital counseling and retreats focused on building relationships.
It is also important for couples to introduce each other to a family member before a relationship matures.
Back then a girl would introduce her newly found boyfriend to her aunty and the boy will do the same to his uncle or grandfather. This is so because it is widely believed elders know what is best for their children.
An ideal partner is the one who is open about his/her religion, flexible to take you to their family for transparency and most importantly someone who sees future with you and as such, it is imperative to be extra careful when taking part in relationships.
These days youths meet randomly and minutes after they will be already in an intimate relationship.
For safety purposes, a boyfriend/ girlfriend must be someone you share a certain institution with, either church, school or neighborhood but the point is it has to be someone you know in and out not just a random person from the streets.
As a matter of fact, girls have diverted the phenomenon of relationships into a money making scheme and consequently they get hurt, underestimated or even worse, lose their lives.
Parents should also play roles in giving lessons to their children about relationships. A point should be emphasized that relationships are not a financial breakthrough because that is when men take advantage of the young girl, especially when they feel like they are spending a lot for the girl.
Above all, young people should normalize praying for rightful partners because even if these relationships are taken for granted, they are a stepping stone to marriage, and one can imagine getting into a toxic relationship because of money.