26 Jun 2017

 Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development, Mr Nonofo Molefhi has implored marriage officers to lead by example and live by what they teach.

Mr Molefhi said this at the Shoot the Word Church marriage seminar in Francistown recently where church leaders from various churches were trained to become marriage officers.

He said the value of a marriage officer, their behaviour and the way they speak should reflect what they preach and teach because they were mirrors of society.

“Being a marriage officer is not an easy job. As a marriage officer you are the mirror of society, not just in Botswana but the entire world because people from other countries come to our country to benchmark, especially that you are pastors from different churches,” he said.

Mr Molefhi further informed stakeholders that as they embarked on the new journey; they become marriage counsellors, adding that society would have hope that disturbed marriages would be fixed and new marriages nurtured through them.

He informed participants that they would be governed by the marriage act, adding that government saw it fit to work with different church leaders as it was evident that they played an important role in shaping society.

In her welcome remarks, the acting regional manager of the University of Botswana in Francistown, Ms Olekile Kusuani said divorces in the country were an eye sore that had affected the institute of marriage, adding that the seminar would minimise the divorce of married couples as church leaders would be equipped to assist in marriage counselling.

She added that subsequently individuals would retract from bad behaviour and trauma. Ms Kusuani also said the seminar would help transform perceptions of marriage, adding that society would view it as indicated in the Bible.

For his part, Reverend Donald Kgomokhumo said cohabitation was a common practice in Botswana to the extent of childbearing out of wedlock, adding that church leaders should view marriage differently from the rest of the community.

He added that marriage officers were expected to revive marriages and come up with resolutions that would address challenges faced in marriages locally.

Ther director of Shoot The Word, Reverend Philip Butale, who was also the host of the seminar, said he came up with the idea to train church leaders to become marriage officers after realising that the office of the district commissioner was swamped and overworked when marrying couples.

He added that they were understaffed and needed some assistance hence the seminar. ENDS