BUJUMBURA, February 11th (ABP) – Divorce cases are increasing day by day in Kanyosha zone, south of the Bujumbura City, said Mrs. Pélagie Chantal Mbonimpa, vice-president of the Kanyosha Residential Court, during the interview she gave to a check ABP on Friday, February 7, 2025.
Mrs. Mbonimpa indicated that most of the conflicts of this kind are caused by adultery; lack of respect between spouses; polygamy and poverty, adding that the Ruziba zone comes at the top with a high number of divorce cases registered in Muha commune, Bujumbura City.
She said that divorce trials are not put in emergencies and take a long procedure to try to advise and reconcile spouses. She explained that the process begins with the village councilors, stressing that the latter do not have the right to grant divorce; rather they try to advise the couple in conflict towards reconciliation. She further said that if the conflict persists, the process is submitted to the Residence Court, which in turn asks the spouses to bring the minutes of the family meeting.
According to Mrs. Mbonimpa, the residence court proceeds with the attempt at reconciliation, where it tries to show the spouses the consequences that may remain in the event of divorce. If all this fails, Mbonimpa indicates, the residence court grants the spouses the right to go into detail in the divorce process, a procedure that must also be long because, she reveals, sometimes, the spouses forgive each other and renounce divorce thanks to this long process.
If during the stages of the Residence Court, the spouses fail to reconcile, the trial is transferred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Muha commune, so that the prosecutor in turn gives his report on this case of divorce, in accordance with the law governing spouses.
After that, she added, the trial returns to the public hearing to be closed, adding that it is during this stage that the family property is shared, and that the court designates who of the two will ensure the education of the children.
Mrs. Mbonimpa indicated, however, that there are times when the divorce trial is decided urgently for the interest of both spouses, especially if there is terrorism and physical violence, to prevent the spouses from killing each other.
Mrs. Mbonimpa deplores that there is no more love or respect between spouses; hence marriages no longer last long. She indicated that some people have replaced love with profit; hence couples no longer get along in cases of poverty. She also advised the Burundian population, especially the rural population, to know the law governing families in order to fully enjoy their rights and avoid mistakes due to ignorance of the law.