The country’s newly elected Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, has been making headlines all weekend after getting married. Mashatile paid lobola to Humile Mjongile, the widow of the late ANC provincial secretary in the Western Cape. He successfully negotiated lobola with her family and spent much of Sunday celebrating with friends and family. This union has been met with mixed emotions, including criticism of the 24-year age gap between the two.
Some people on Twitter have been negative about the marriage. They pointed out the age difference, with one person saying that “Mashatile must be loaded to get someone so young interested in caring for an old man.” Others are bothered by the fact that Humile lost her husband, Songezo Mjongile, to cancer two years ago, while Paul lost his wife to Covid-19 also two years ago. They feel that it’s wrong for them to get married to each other.
Despite the negativity, Paul Mashatile is reportedly happy and not bothered. His younger brother has said that people should give him space to enjoy his life and be happy. Some people accuse Paul of betraying Songezo, but they don’t understand the meaning of “till death do us part.” When Songezo died, their marriage was over, and it’s not wrong for Paul to marry Humile.
While there are some negative opinions about Paul Mashatile’s marriage to Humile Mjongile, it’s their personal decision to get married, and they have the right to be happy. People should not judge them based on their age difference or the fact that they were both previously married to other people who have passed away.
