Calling all zimbabwe women

I am so excited to start this blog because i felt that there was a need for zimbabwean women and man alike to come together and discuss issues that affect us, marriage, in laws, relationship, fashion, recipes, sex, friendship etc etc. Any topic you want we can certainly discuss it here.

To jump start our discussion here. I am curious and have a question about lobola. Is this practise still relevant in this modern world. When we look at it almost resembles how slavery was conducted. Someone would money would buy someone a slave and that someone became theirs forever. Okay maybe this might be an extreme analogy but really it got me thinking why are we practising lobola these days. Back in the day i understand it was to say thanks to your inLaws for giving you a wife but these days kupondana chaiko. I hear bride prices these days are ranging from anywhere from  $3000- $25 000 or even more.
Why are we doing this, i myself got married in 2009 and had to travel to zim to do the roora thing. All i can say is that the experience was traumatic, frustrating and pointless . There were all sorts of things that i had never had of and that i had to do and people were so damn sensitive about it. Every time i would ask why are we doing this. I would be told ndochivanhu. I guess they also didn't know why we were doing it.

So the question is why do we do Lobola and do we need to break the circle and stop this foolish practise for lobola. Wouldn't it be nice if we could do a traditional wedding without money involved maybe some gift of course. Can you imagine that $5000 can be used by that young couple to start a new life.
I also want to hear your horror lobola stories.