From MASVINGO - Zimbabwe

In a development that has shocked many people in Masvingo, a Mwenezi widow has been made pregnant by her son, whom she says she now wants to marry. Betty Mbereko (40), who was widowed 12 years ago, has been cohabiting with her first child Farai Mbereko (23), and says she prefers him to her late husband's young brothers.
Now six months pregnant, Betty said she had decided that it was better to "marry" Farai because she did not want to marry her late husband's young brothers, whom she said were coveting her. The two appeared before a village court last week and Betty stunned the villagers when she said the love affair with her son had begun three years earlier. The Weekend Tribune attended the court session where Betty poured out her love for her son, who is 17 years her junior.

She said after spending a lot of money sending Farai to school following the death of her husband, she felt she had the right to his money and no other woman was entitled to it. "Look, I strove alone to send my son to school and no one helped me. Now you see that my son is working and you are accusing me of doing something which is unheard of. Let me enjoy the products of my sweat," she told the village court.

Betty added that marriage was an agreement between two people and no one was supposed to interfere. She even accused her late husband's young brothers of wanting to victimise her son, saying they also wanted to marry her.

Farai admitted that he was more than prepared to marry his mother and would pay off the lobola balance his father had left unpaid to his grandparents. "I know my father died before he finished paying the bride price and I am prepared to pay it off," he said. He, however, admitted that his grandparents who referred his issue to his uncles had advised that it was taboo for a son to marry his mother. "It is better to publicise what is happening because people should know that I am the one who made my mother pregnant. Otherwise they will accuse her of promiscuity, "
he said.

He added that it was better for him to marry his mother because they understood each other well. "I have been living with my mother since I was young and I know we can have a fruitful future together," he added. In Shona and many other cultures the two are not supposed to have any sexual relationship.
However, the two vowed to marry despite that everyone else was against the idea. "We cannot allow this to happen in our village, mashura chaiwo aya, (This is a bad omen indeed)"said local headman Nathan Muputirwa. "In the past if such a thing happened, they would have to be killed but today we cannot do it because we are afraid of the police," he said.

He warned the two to either break their marriage or leave his village immediately. Mother and son chose the latter option. They have since left the village for an unknown destination. Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (ZINATHA) president Gordon Chavunduka said he had also heard of many cases where mother and son were having private love affairs.
"Mother and son love relations are there but many are doing it privately," said Chavunduka.

He added that it is taboo for society to accept those marriages but the situation is difficult to curb since modern people are no longer respecting their culture. "I only want to warn those who think they are wise enough to defy their cultural regulations that a lot of evil spells are following them," he said

shindwe kabisa!!! hata kama we are becoming more and more "liberal!!" hiyo imepita!! maybe it is something like Oedepus syndrome? (cant remember well but i once learnt something like that somewhere)it involves a son having "feelings-romantic for that matter for his mother.. but that is bad, kwani hangepata tusupuu rika yake?

Of course it's really amazing!!!!

poow!

quote:

maybe it is something like Oedepus syndrome? (cant remember well but i once learnt something like that somewhere)it involves a son having "feelings-romantic for that matter for his mother..

Wakariuki,
It called the Oedipus complex. Wikipedia defines it thus, "The Oedipus complex in Freudian psychoanalysis refers to stage of psychosexual development in childhood where children of both sexes regard their father as an adversary and competitor for the exclusive love of their mother. The name of the complex derives from the Greek myth of Oedipus, who unwittingly kills his father Laius and marries his mother Jocasta"

quote:

Greek myth of Oedipus, who unwittingly kills his father Laius and marries his mother Jocasta"

I heard this story. Bu you can not relate it to the wikipedia definition. Oedipus' was different. He didnt know his mother at the time of marriage.

And of course the story is not true. It is classical Greek drama by Sophocles. Like Wa Kariuki, I will say I am liberal in most issues, lakini hii, no way!

wakaris.from my educational psychology class:specifically human growth and development,which am sure Ngunjiri and Saj attended,Oedipus complex occurs at the age of 2-4 in boys where they see the dad as a rival,it is manifested later in life when you find sons are more close to their mothers but does not go to this extent as in the above scenario.Recently there was such a story in one of the radio stations where a son had impregnated the mum,so i dont know kama ni huyu mpiga kura who called the station akapeana hii story au vipi?

quote:

Originally posted by wa kariuki:
shindwe kabisa!!! hata kama we are becoming more and more "liberal!!" hiyo imepita!! maybe it is something like Oedepus syndrome? (cant remember well but i once learnt something like that somewhere)it involves a son having "feelings-romantic for that matter for his mother.. but that is bad, kwani hangepata tusupuu rika yake?

quote:

from my educational psychology class:specifically human growth and development,which am sure Ngunjiri and Saj attended

Mbugua
You got it wrong there. I was not an education major. Anyway, I do not think the Oedipal dilemma is always fully resolved. Look at it this way, abusive Kikuyu husbands cease doing this as soon as their sones come of age becasue the sons now feel empowered to protect thier mothers against the fathers. Social taboos ensures that the Oedipal inclinations are kept in check.

By the way, how comes the son impregnating the mother take so many people by surprise, while fathers have been impregnating thier daughters while society look the other way?

poa poa, hapo umeongea. No big deal!

quote:

Originally posted by sajini:

quote:

from my educational psychology class:specifically human growth and development,which am sure Ngunjiri and Saj attended

Mbugua
You got it wrong there. I was not an education major. Anyway, I do not think the Oedipal dilemma is always fully resolved. Look at it this way, abusive Kikuyu husbands cease doing this as soon as their sones come of age becasue the sons now feel empowered to protect thier mothers against the fathers. Social taboos ensures that the Oedipal inclinations are kept in check.

By the way, how comes the son impregnating the mother take so many people by surprise, while fathers have been impregnating thier daughters while society look the other way?

quote:

Originally posted by sajini:

quote:

from my educational psychology class:specifically human growth and development,which am sure Ngunjiri and Saj attended

Mbugua
You got it wrong there. I was not an education major. Anyway, I do not think the Oedipal dilemma is always fully resolved. Look at it this way, abusive Kikuyu husbands cease doing this as soon as their sones come of age becasue the sons now feel empowered to protect thier mothers against the fathers. Social taboos ensures that the Oedipal inclinations are kept in check.

By the way, how comes the son impregnating the mother take so many people by surprise, while fathers have been impregnating thier daughters while society look the other way?

You are right Sajini, this dilema is not always resolved and in extreme cases, it may lead to what happened above. This happens both ways where even the daughter doesn't overcome this dilema and ends up messing around with the dad. And again, it's true, it's almost "acceptable" for the dad to sleep with his daughters while it will be such a huge deal (an abomination even) for a son to sleep with the mother. What an unfortunate society. God save our souls!