Read Oral History #221. Available in English.
[Regarding lobola or bride wealth] I’m going to go with what my father says. My father’s like, ‘You know what, my daughter? If you’re going to married, it’s fine just as long as the brethren has a temple recommend.’ To us it’s not just a simple cut. When you carry a temple recommend it means that there’s something about you, you know, you’re worthy, you do certain things. So to me that’s enough. That is enough. Lobola—I don’t think it’s bad. It only becomes bad if it prohibits people from getting married. If people want to get married, and let’s say the brethren does not have money in order to get married and the parents are like, ‘Well, if you don’t have the money.’ Then that’s where my problem lies.
But if the family is cool—in fact, not even the family because this is not about the guy getting married to the family, but more the guy getting married to the girl—and the girl is like, ‘You know what? I’m actually quite cool with this. You don’t need to pay for me.’ Then why not? Why not, you know. I remember telling my school mates that I would use the lobola money for the wedding. Just not to buy my parents love or anything. I don’t even understand, ok, well I do understand the concept. I don’t know if it’s more of thanking the parents, right? You’re thanking the parents for raising the daughter.