2016-12-01Staff Report 2 Windhoek It has now become an open secret that marriages of convenience are becoming more prevalent as many women become victims of these loveless unions involving foreign men whose primary objective is to obtain Namibian citizenship after which they file for divorce. According to a Namibian Sun newspaper article published in 2014, between 2001 and 2011 a total of 12 436 women filed for divorce as they felt they were trapped in marriages of convenience. A 39-year-old woman who requested anonymity lest she becomes the butt of jokes and social ridicule, from Ogongo, Omusati Region, said she fell in love and got married to a man who reportedly tried to kill her multiple times. She said she fell in love with his gestures of love during their courtship and she finally gave in to his advances, not knowing that their marriage will be nothing but of convenience. She explained that Xue Cheng Hou was persistent, informing her he wanted to marry a Namibian woman. “He made all kinds of promises to me,” said the heartbroken woman. This story is similar to that of a lot of women who fall in love and marry foreigners without any knowledge that they are simply being used by these men for their own advancements. According to her they got married in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court on January 26, 2005 and agreed that they will have their white wedding in May. But in May, 2005 she was involved in an accident that left her with back and neck injuries. However, after the accident Cheng Hou insisted that they get married as soon as possible. “I insisted that we get married after I have healed properly,” she said. She added that her now ex-husband was in a hurry to have their wedding proceedings done with. “Even then I did not pick up on the signs,” reminisced the heartbroken woman. According to her, straight after their “wedding” Cheng Hou hastily returned to Windhoek. A week after she followed Cheng Hou to Windhoek but he was nowhere to be found. Efforts to get in touch with him proved futile. She recalled that Cheng Hou would only communicate through her cousin who later convinced him to attend a family meeting. During family meetings held on separate occasions he allegedly informed her in front of family members and friends who were gathered that he never really loved her. He said the reason he married her was merely to obtain Namibian citizenship and residency. He allegedly told her there was nothing that she could do as he was a ‘Mafia boss’. “He threatened to shoot me if I did not surrender our marriage certificate to him,” she said. But he roughed her up and managed to lay his hands on their marriage certificate, which he later used to acquire a vegetable farm next to Goreangab dam in Windhoek. According to her, her ex-husband ordered their farm housekeeper to put poison in her food for a sum of N$30 000. After that attempt failed, Cheng Hou ordered his security guard to shoot and kill her for an amount of N$20 000. She was allegedly informed of the attempts on her life by the two farm employees who warned her to be cautious. “I have now accepted that our marriage was just of convenience on my husband’s part,” said the woman in an anguished voice. She is urging Namibian women to be cautious of foreign men who want to marry them. Their divorce was finalised on May 13 even though she filed for divorce in 2005 and 2007. Cheng Hou appeared in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court last week on charges of being in possession of and trading in wildlife products worth N$598 700 and the woman made this narration in a written submission she filed in court to explain her relationship with Cheng Hou. This photo is for illustrative purposes only. 2016-12-01Staff Report 2
