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Man forced to pay bride price for dead wife

According to the family of the woman, the man lived with the woman, without going through all the marriage formalities.
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A man in Mozambiques southern province of Inhambane was over the weekend forced to pay the traditional bride price, locally known as "lobolo”, for a dead woman.

The woman died due to complications during childbirth, but the family said they will not bury her unless the partner paid the "lobolo", Mozambique's state radio reports.

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The young man, therefore, indicated that he had to buy clothes and shoes for his dead wife, agree to pay more than $800 (£630), and hold a symbolic wedding ceremony on 15 December.

A brother to the young man, Irmao do Jovem, said: “We tried to raise the money they demanded, but we could only put together about $178. So we had to sign a pledge promising to pay the remaining amount on wedding day, December 15th."

The practice appears to be common among some ethnic groups in Mozambique, especially when a man decides to live with a woman without fulfilling the necessary obligations.

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