Say what you want about love, but in Tanzania, divorce is working overtime. According to RITA, 675 divorce certificates were issued between July 2024 and April 2025.
That’s 116 percent of the annual target. Yes, you read that right, we’re breaking up faster than we’re signing up.
The situation is so serious that the government had to pull the emergency brake.
Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Dr Damas Ndumbaro, took a detour during his 2025/26 budget speech to sound the alarm: parents, guardians, and marriage officiants, please start giving couples actual survival tips—not just wedding speeches and matching khangas.
His point? We need to go back to the basics, moral values, emotional preparation, and a clearer understanding of what marriage really requires.
But let’s be honest…today’s version of marriage isn’t your grandmother’s “just stick it out” situation.
Modern couples want it all: love, peace, partnership, financial stability, deep conversation, and sometimes matching pyjamas.
But what happens when those things fall apart? So does the marriage. And these days, leaving a bad situation isn’t shameful, it’s called self-care.
Still, it’s not just about who’s leaving. It’s also about who’s not showing up in the first place.
RITA only registered 35,052 marriages during the same period, just 65 percent of the target. So not only are more couples breaking up, but fewer are even bothering to walk down the aisle.
Welcome to the age of vibes, cohabitation, and love without paperwork.
Well, for starters, we hype weddings like blockbuster movies, from location shoots, bridal showers, to send-offs with 20 speeches.
But give marriage all the emotional preparation of a group chat. The result? Two people trying to build a life together using TikTok advice and what their aunties said at the kitchen party.
Meanwhile, social media is serving us unrealistic love goals. Everyone looks blissfully happy online until the filters fade and the arguments start over who left the gas open.
By then, it’s easier to split than to fix things. If we want fewer divorces, we need more than moral lectures.
We need marriage prep that’s as real as the challenges couples face—conflict resolution, money talk, mental health, even parenting styles.
Also let’s normalise therapy over gossip and deep conversations over assumptions.
Because marriage isn’t the enemy. Misinformation, unrealistic expectations, and lack of tools are.
And until we start treating marriage like the lifelong team project it is and not just a one-day fashion show, we’ll keep seeing the “I do” turn into “I’m done” faster than you can say hashtag couplegoals.
So yes, say what you want about love. But if we don’t upgrade our understanding of commitment, divorce will keep winning.
Share this news
This Year's Most Read News Stories
New lawsuit as Zanzibar airport controversy continues
Another company joins the list as they file a petition challenging the exclusive rights granted to Dnata by Zanzibar Airports Authority.Continue Reading
Shock waves hit Zanzibar’s Real Estate industry
The revocation of British developer Pennyroyal’s leasehold for the construction of Blue Amber Resort by the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar has sent shock waves in the nascent property market on the Isles.Continue Reading
Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Visit
Dar es Salaam — Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case in the northwestern region of Kagera after a meeting with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The confirmation follows days of speculation about a possible outbreak in the region, after the WHO reported a number of deaths suspected to be linked to the highly infectious disease.
While Tanzania’s Ministry of Health declared last week that all suspected cases had tested negative for Marburg, the WHO called for additional testing at international reference laboratories.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”Amelia Clemence, public health researcher
Subsequent laboratory tests conducted at Kagera’s Kabaile Mobile Laboratory and confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one positive case, while 25 other suspected cases tested negative, the president told a press conference in Dodoma, in the east of the country today (Monday).
“The epicentre has now shifted to Biharamulo district of Kagera,” she told the press conference, distinguishing this outbreak from the previous one centred in Bukoba district.
Tedros said the WHO would release US$3 million from its emergencies contingency fund to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
Health authorities stepped up surveillance and deployed emergency response teams after the WHO raised the alarm about nine suspected cases in the region, including eight deaths.
The suspected cases displayed symptoms consistent with Marburg infection, including headache, high fever, diarrhoea, and haemorrhagic complications, according to the WHO’s alert to member countries on 14 January. The organisation noted a case fatality rate of 89 per cent among the suspected cases.
“We appreciate the swift attention accorded by the WHO,” Hassan said.
She said her administration immediately investigated the WHO’s alert.
“The government took several measures, including the investigation of suspected individuals and the deployment of emergency response teams,” she added.
Cross-border transmission
The emergence of this case in a region that experienced Tanzania’s first-ever Marburg outbreak in March 2023 has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly following Rwanda’s recent outbreak that infected 66 people and killed 15 before being declared over in December 2024.
The situation is particularly critical given Kagera’s position as a transport hub connecting four East African nations.
Amelia Clemence, a public health researcher working in the region, says constant vigilance is required.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”
The Kagera region’s ecosystem, home to fruit bats that serve as natural reservoirs for the Marburg virus, adds another layer of complexity to disease surveillance efforts.
The virus, closely related to Ebola, spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever.
Transparency urged
Elizabeth Sanga, shadow minister of health for Tanzania’s ACT Wazalendo opposition party, says greater transparency would help guide public health measures.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
“This could have helped to guide those who are traveling to the affected region to be more vigilant and prevent the risk of further spread,” she said.
WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti says early notification of investigation outcomes is important.
“We stand ready to support the government in its efforts to investigate and ensure that measures are in place for an effective and rapid response,” she said, noting that existing national capacities built from previous health emergencies could be quickly mobilised.
The situation coincides with leadership changes in Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, with both the chief medical officer and permanent secretary being replaced.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Source: allafrica.com
