People, do tell me. Is it me or is ukuLobolo closely related to economic policies set out by the Tito’s and the Trevors of this world. uKulobola has become a serious business transaction with great financial rewards depending on which side of the fence you’re sitting on. Phela lately some women have a price tag of over R50k. I know I’m over simplifying this a bit much but it seems like that’s what it boils down to these days-the money. Are our parents justified in expecting so much for their “return on investment”? Are our men being robbed blind or has the cost of compensation really gotten to a point that it warrants so money.
I really wonder how men actually go about saving for this:
1. Do you guys start saving from when you meet “the one”?
2. Do you end up taking out loans to cover these exorbitant prices (bride price)?
3. Have any of your women offered to meet you half way or
4. Have any of you actually taken out a loan together to pay for the lobola?
5. Have any of you told your bride-to-be’s family to take a hike because they were just asking too much. & then you never went back there again?
Here’s something else I wonder:
1. Do you ladies have any say in what is being charged/asked for?
2. Have any of you told your parents what minimum or maximum they should set?
3. Have any of you ever had a share in what’s been paid to your parents?
4. Do you and your man actually talk about the process and share ideas on how much he should expect to pay and how you two are going to work towards ensuring that he has enough to pay?
5. Have any of you experienced the down payment system where your lobola is paid in instalment?
Gees, I know that I’m asking a million questions but I was just hoping that you guys might shed some light on this for me. uKulobola is really a complicated thing and how do the metropolitan urbanised x and y generation fit into all of this-if at all.? Do you even know where you’d start & who you’d ask?