Woman repays bride price

A  woman from East Sepik has reimbursed a K25,000 bride price to her ex-husband’s relatives to have her customary marriage dissolved on Monday in Port Moresby.
Alice Kuaningi was ordered by the village court in Waigani to repay the bride price made to her by her former husband, Roger Kilembe in 2005. A joint village court hearing consisting of Erima village court magistrate Smowal Gabriel, Tokarara village court magistrates Mark Gigmai and William Pui, facilitated the process on Nov 29 last year.
The court ordered that both parties had generally agreed to end their marriage and the customary obligations it had on Kuaningi and Kilembe. The court ordered the complainant Kilembe and his former wife Kuaningi to go to other appropriate courts to seek orders regarding their properties.
The payment was made some months after the order was issued.
Kilembe from Maringe village in Yangoru, East Sepik, and his father, together with relatives were present to witness the dissolution of his marriage.
Kilembe’s father accepted the K25,000 as bride price payment which marked an end to his son’s marriage.
When handing the cash to Kilembe and his family, magistrate Gabriel Smowal said it was an unfortunate situation that a marriage had to end but both parties had agreed to it so the court acted upon that decision.
Kuaningi from Sima village, Yangoru, ended the marriage in handing over of the cash to her former husband in the presence of her relatives.