Zambezia (19S3), XI (ii).ESSAY REVIEWAFRICAN MARRIAGE IN ZIMBABWEDR WEINRICH HAS attempted, in this book,1 a synthesis of two themes whichwould perhaps have been better dealt with separately.In the first place she explores the 'possibilities of cross fertilizationbetween Marxism and Christianity', and argues that, despite a past alliancebetween the Church and the State and the imposition on Black Christians ofthe ¥alues and tenets of 'petty bourgeois' clergy and missionaries, the'prevailing confusion of Christian ideology and Christian faith' can bearrested. Though she criticizes both past government and ecclesiasticstructures, she remains confident that by going through a hermeneutic circle,the main body of Christians will present a true re¥olution in theology, and thatthe 'cross fertilization' of Marxism and Christianity in Zimbabwe is likely toresult in a 'purification of the faith and a consolidation of the revolution*.Weinrich suggests (following Segundo) that 'Marx's own insights should bedeveloped further so that theology too can be transformed from a tool in thehands of the old ruling classes into a weapon in the hands of the exploited withwhich they can confront compromised church leaders and challenge them toaccept their more authentic interpretations of the Christian message'. I find itdifficolt to accept that the theological insights of the exploited will necessarilybe more 'authentic* than any one else's Š perhaps for the same reasons thatLeein believed that by themselves the workers could not become fullyconscious of their political destiny, unaided by instruction from the radicalintelligentsia,2Weinrich pleads eloquently enough for Christians to 'inject into themasses the crisis of an authentic evangelization', the result of which will be acorrected and improved religious ideology. How far this is a remote possibilityis difficult to prognosticate. On the one hand,- as Lord Blake has seen in anearlier period in Zimbabwean history, it may come about that' as so often in thepast history, the conquered hesitantly, and with many reservations scarcelyrecognized by those who had "converted" them, accepted the creed of theconqueror',3 It is those many reservations which may have had a greaterinfluence on, for example. Western concepts of Christian marriage, thanethnicity, economic base (or mode of production) or religion. Ancestralreligion, despite Weinrich's assertion to the contrary (p, 192)is a very realforce in the spiritual life of the people, and has probably gathered in strengthwith the rise of nationalism and the search for a national African identity. Howfar an accommodation between the ancient beliefs of the people andChristianity can be achieved is probably more relevant in Zimbabwe than across-fertilization with Marxism. From the other side, as Archbishop Hurleyhas observed:'A.K.H. Weinrich [Sr Mary Aquinaj, African Marriage in Zimbabwe (Gweru, MamboPress, 1983), 212 pp., ZS9.3CX2F, Parkin, Marxism' and Class Theory: A Bourgeois Critique' (London, TavistoekPublications, 1979). 751.3R, Blake, A History of Rhodesia (London, Eyre Methaen, 1977), 160.139In regard to the Catholic reaction, the denial of God in the overallMarxist view makes it obviously incompatible with Christianity.The accepted Catholic view is that this denial necessarily implies afalse view of morality. Morality, instead of having a divine originhas a human one, even a materialistic one, with the result thatwhatever promotes man's materialistic and social growth asinterpreted by Marx is good ethics. From this implication arises thetragic irony of Marxism: that the exploitation of the poor shouldhave inspired in Mm a philosophy whose ethics in Catholic eyescan condone any horror.4The second theme running through the book is Weinrich's study ofmarriage in Zimbabwe, the research for which was carried out between 1972and 1975, much of it ten years ago. This research supports, somewhat shakily,her theological-ideological argument The data was collected in a response to arequest from the major churches in Zimbabwe (or, as it then was, Rhodesia)-which were seriously concerned with the fact that the majority of followers didnot marry in church, and Weinrich was given the overall brief of determiningthe impact of Christianity on African married life, and the reasons for theapparent apathy to church teaching.Her first findings were published in two volumes in mimeograph form(undated), and much of the material is included in this present volume; alsoincluded, it seems, is the material collected for her book on the Tonga.5Presumably data other than that already referred to has been added in order toresearch the total figure of 10,900 referred to in Tables I and II (pp. xiv-xv).This figure, we are informed, refers to all men and women enumerated in themarriage survey; but it is not clear how this figure derived from the 5,662married couples mentioned earlier (p. xi) or what has happened to the 212couples or 424 people who have been lost or discarded along the way. We arenot told either, of the sampling technique used, and as the author imputes arepresentational nature to her data by such statements as 'among the Shonawhere almost 86 per cent of the population are Christians' (p. 10) and'over60generalizations must be treated with reservation if the method of sampling isnot satisfactorily explained.The sort of sampling implied in the text is sometimes referred to as'haphazard' or 'convenience' sampling and are 'samples' only in the loosestsense of the term: 'When seriously used, they constitute an unflatteringreflection on the sophistication of those who resort to, and accept such data'.6Furthermore, the chi-square- statistic is, of course, applicable only whensamples are randomly and independently selected, and the chi-square table isvalid only when each expected frequency is larger than 5-10, and thisnaturally precludes any category of nought. No table to which chi was applied(surely to integers, not percentages in the original working?) fulfilled theseconditions, and the author's assumptions of association must be treated asinvalid.4D.E, Hurley, 'Catholic social teaching and ideology*, in A Prior (ed.). Catholics inApartheid Society (Cape Town, David Philip, 1982), 38,5A.K.H. Weinrich, The Tonga People of (he Southern Shore of Lake Kariba (Gweru,Mambo Press, Occasional Paper Socio-Economic Series 8.1977), 56, where she refers to a totalof 137 husbands and 222 wives compared with 136 husbands and 222 wives in the book underreview (Tables VIII and IX, 46-7).6J.H. Mueller, K.F. Schwessler and H.L. •"ostner. Statistical Reasoning in Sociology'Boston, Houghton and Mifflin, 1970), 350,140A further lack of specification lies in both the author's unsubstantiatedfigures (for example, the divorce and remarriage rates given ai \\ 172) and hersweeping statements (such as 'widow inheritance has become r ire among theSnona and among the Ndebele it has died out' p. 65). This conflicts with otherdata (my own, for example, in-a recent survey presently being anai v sed) whichsuggests that Incidence Is probably less than It was, but it has aoi died out.Close analysis of her work Is continually frustrated by ihe absence ofspecification of sources. Careless Interpretation of sources Is at^o confusing tothe reviewer, Weinrich says (p. 81) that a marriage contracted under theAfrican Marriage Act of 1951 can be "transformed Into a c<v ii or C?hristlanmarriage by obtaining an Enabling Certificate, that is a written vtatemeiH by aDistrict Commissioner with whom the marriage has been .clustered*. TheEnabling Certificate is a requirement for all civil marriages, and precedes thenormal preliminary procedures, partly to ensure that the man concerned hasthe capacity to enter into a monogamous marriageŠthat is. that tie is notalready married in, terms of either Marriage Act. Weinrich*s tactualunderstanding of the requirements and procedures for matriagc certainlyleaves much to be desired, as does her understanding of other mattersmentioned (particularly at p. 82) concerned'with legal status. On the samepage she says, rather vaguely, that 'at times some couples have been refused anEnabling Certificate until the husband paid all outstanding taxes'; accusationsof such a degree of improper official conduct should surety be wellsubstantiated.But perhaps it is wrong to quibble over such matters. Weinrichundoubtedly provides much material which shows an intimate knowledge ofher subject and provides many insights into the important institution ofmarriage.However, it is difficult to credit her claim to such a very large number ofinterviews. She tells us that her data were collected between 1972 and 11)75,and "compromised both the administration of a long questionnaire io 5662married couples and participant observation both by [herself] and partly by atrained research assistant'. The questionnaire, comprising some 50 questions,was administered to people living in 21 communities. In all, a total number ofi 0.900 people were interviewed, whether singly or in pairs is not revealed.Certainly at least some questions required an answer by both husband and wifesingly. This is an average of five interviews a day (taking the maximumindicated period) every day of the week for three years, and this does not takeinto account travelling time, time off for leave, religious observance, illness, oranything else. And this as well as participant observation!If her figures are correct, one can only marvel at the sheer effort involved,and the indefatigability of both the author and her assistant; particularly theformer who at the same time carried out her fall-time teaching responsibilities,i could only wish that she had revealed the name and whereabouts of herassistant at this time. Not only did he perform such prodigious feats of industryin interviewing but could still find time to compose incredible scenariosconcerning imprudent ladies discussing their intimate affairs on a park benchin Bulawayo (pp. 132-4) and carelessly revealing both their names despite thelurking presence of a young male eavesdropper with a busy notebook,recording their conversation verbatim!While not wishing to detract from Dr Weinrich's endeavour, one couldwish that more care had been taken to check facts and sources, and that the141standards of analysis and reportage demanded by academic scholarship hadbeen adhered to so that her interesting assertions could be seen to have moresubstance than is possible as it stands.University of Zimbabwe JOAN P. MAY142