As many Zimbabweans migrate to other countries, particularly South Africa, in search of better economic opportunities, the nation has seen a dramatic rise in divorce cases.
According to The Chronicle, Zimbabwe registered 3,214 divorce cases in 2024, a sharp rise from 2,149 the previous year. The courts have finalised only 1,562 cases so far, adding pressure on families and the judicial system.
Regional Breakdown
Harare leads in both divorce filings and finalisations, with the country’s Judicial Service Commission (JSC) reporting 1,945 cases, of which 996 have been completed. Bulawayo follows with 825 filed cases and 383 finalised divorces. Other regions recorded lower figures: Masvingo High Court had 179 cases filed and 70 finalised, Mutare High Court handled 157 cases with 78 completed, and Chinhoyi High Court recorded 108 filings and 35 finalised cases.
Migration: A Leading Factor in Rising Divorce Cases?
In an interview with The South African, a Zimbabwean teacher revealed that she filed for divorce. She made this decision after discovering that her husband had started a new relationship in South Africa. The teacher who preferred to be identified only as Marylyn got married in 2022. But her husband left for South Africa to visit his brother. He unexpectedly secured a job there.
“He kept reassuring me that he was working on our future,” she said. “Only for me to find out he had moved on with someone else. I trusted him, but long-distance made it easy for him to break that trust. I had no choice but to file for divorce.”
What Experts Say About Migration and Divorce Cases?
Experts have pointed to increasing migration as a major factor driving the rising divorce rates. With many Zimbabweans leaving their families behind to work abroad, long-distance relationships become difficult to sustain, leading to trust issues, infidelity, and communication breakdowns.
Bulawayo Residents’ Association (Bura) chairperson, Winos Dube, linked the economic situation to both migration and divorce rates.
“The current economic situation is taking its toll on relationships. With many people leaving the country, long-distance relationships become unsustainable. Trust issues and a lack of seriousness among partners, often compounded by infidelity, contribute significantly to these dissolutions,” he told The Chronicle.
Do you think migration puts strain on marriages and increases the risk of divorce?
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