Abstract:
Eswatini custom and church traditions indirectly and directly affect the way widowers handle
their mourning period, after the demise of their better halves. Instead of mourning their loss
of spouses for their spiritual, emotional, social and financial healing, widowers rush to
remarry. This has resulted in dysfunctional marriages, ill health, financial crisis and sometimes
death. This article has analysed the impact of the Eswatini custom and church traditions on
widowers as emanating from the ‘throne’. The aim of this article therefore is to unpack some
of the struggles faced by widowers, which often impacts them on their journey of life as they
seek to relive life with another wife. It is in this regard that Nick Pollard’s method of positive
deconstruction was used to enter the space of the widowers. Charles Gerkin’s shepherding
model was incorporated in order to be able to journey with the troubled souls. The process will
in turn heal them as they will be taught about the importance of mourning before remarrying.
CONTRIBUTION : Widowers in Eswatini are the most vulnerable yet neglected in the kingdom of
Eswatini. Patriarchy plays a major role, and in this case, it is men versus men power. Eswatini’s
cultural practices and church practices have a major impact on widowers and may even
shorten their lifespan.
