Page 183 - A People Called Afrika

Afrika’s Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Polygamy was widely practiced in Afrika and it often formed
the backbone of the traditional Afrikan family pattern, for
those who could afford it. Studies conducted from the 1930s
to 1950s indicated that polygamy was common in virtual-
ly all regions of Afrika, although there was evidence that it
was on the decline with increasing modern influences, as
marrying more than one wife became an economic burden.

Even traditionally, ordinary citizens were not able to marry
more than one wife. Often only Kings, chiefs and men who
had wealth could do so. The truth is, polygamy in the past
and even when practiced in today’s Afrikan setting, has been
known to experience certain socio-economic challenges and
relational complications, with favoritism, strife and even re-
sentments and other social ills arising to challenge the struc-
ture and stability of the home. While polygamy is said to of-
ten have set the tone for the society and the pattern of social
organization of the traditional Afrikan family, the reality on
the ground was often more thorny than has been suggested.

In a typical modern-day Afrikan family setting (even though
much has changed over time, especially with the perversion
called homosexuality) the concept of a man, his wife and the
children has become the norm. Families in the traditional Af-
rikan setting were more communal in nature. Family units,
for the most part, lived as what the world now refers to as
‘extended’ families, where the parents of the man were often
within close proximity of his own home and even though each
family unit managed its own affairs, it was customary to in-
volve family members in dispute resolution, and where this
failed, escalation went beyond the family unit until finally find-
ing the final word, if necessary in the Chief’s or King’s court.

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