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Divorce cases continue to mount at Zimbabwe’s High Court, where disputes over property dominate proceedings, while children suffer in silence.
Harare, Zimbabwe – At the High Court in Harare, the long wooden benches are rarely empty. On any given day, men and women sit in silence, waiting for a clerk to call their names. They are there not for justice in the usual sense, but for the quiet legal severing of their marriages. For many, the unspoken question hangs heavier than the paperwork: what happens to the children left in between?
Memory (not her real name), a 36-year-old mother of two from Harare, after enduring years of infidelity and emotional neglect, filed for divorce in 2023.
“I thought leaving would bring peace,” she says, “but the hardest part has been watching my children struggle to adjust.”
Her eldest son, once a top student, has slipped academically. Her daughter, only eight, has become withdrawn. “They ask why daddy doesn’t live with us anymore, and I don’t always have the answers.”
Still, she does not regret her choice. “A toxic marriage is no place to raise children. But we need more support, counsellors in schools, affordable legal advice, and above all, recognition that children should never be collateral damage.”
Divorce, once whispered in Zimbabwean society, has become increasingly common. New research by UnCommon shows that divorce rates have climbed sharply, with 3,214 cases filed in 2024, compared to 2,149 in 2023. Harare alone recorded nearly 2,000 divorces, leading the nation, followed by Bulawayo with over 800 cases.
“Other regions recorded significantly lower figures, with Masvingo High Court having 179 cases filed and 70 finalised, while Mutare High Court handled 157 cases, which were filed and 78 completed. The High Court in Chinhoyi had 108 filed and 35 finalised,” reads the report.
Behind these statistics are fractured homes, children shuttled between parents, and legal battles that test the very fabric of family life.
“Divorce is difficult for all members of the family. For children, trying to understand the changing dynamics of the family may leave them distracted and confused,” says Naison Ngwenya, a social worker in Hwange.
A Rising Tide of Breakups
A recent visit to the courts shows that maintenance cases are awash with men failing to take care of their children, resulting in women finding ways to raise children.
Douglas Mambure, senior lecturer in psychology at the Women’s University in Africa, has studied the trends closely. His 2024 study on divorces in Zimbabwe revealed that nearly one in five marriages is likely to collapse. The most cited reasons include infidelity, money disputes, poor communication, and unresolved personal issues.
“Marriage is no longer the permanent institution it once was,” Mambure explains. “Economic hardship and social pressures have placed enormous strain on couples, and when marriages break up, children often carry the deepest scars.”
In informal settlements like Epworth and Hopley, the findings show some families are pushed to desperate measures. In extreme cases, women are forced into transactional relationships or sex work to keep food on the table, rupturing already fragile unions. But, way up in the leafy suburbs, with all luxury, marriages are breaking also.
The effects are stark to children of the estranged parties. Mambure’s study highlights academic struggles, behavioural issues, depression, and exposure to poverty as common outcomes.
“Divorce creates a cascade,” says family counsellor Tendai Tshuma. “It is not just about two people ending a relationship, it changes the entire trajectory of a child’s life.”
Yet resilience is also part of the story. Many children adapt, finding strength in extended family networks, schools, or even faith communities. “We must not paint all children of divorce as broken,” Chuma cautions. “But we cannot deny the long-term emotional challenges they face.”
The Question of Custody
Perhaps the most contested issue in Zimbabwean divorces is custody of minor children. Fathers often fear that courts will favour mothers, regardless of circumstance.
Historically, the law did little to dispel this perception. Under common law, unmarried fathers had no inherent custody rights, with mothers given full guardianship. However, a landmark case in 2019, Sadiqi v Muteswa, challenged this position as unconstitutional. Judges ruled that denying fathers custodial rights based solely on marital status was discriminatory.
Today, both mothers and fathers are legally entitled to seek custody, but the best interests of the child remain paramount.
“Courts are slowly shifting towards recognising shared custody and joint parental responsibility,” explains lawyer Tinos Kamanga. “But the system is still burdened by social norms that see fathers as breadwinners, not caregivers.”
Zimbabwe is not alone in grappling with the consequences of rising divorce. Across the West, divorce rates surged in the 1970s and 80s, later plateauing. In industrialising Asia, cohabitation and separation are becoming more common, reshaping traditional family structures. The global evidence is clear; children of divorce are more likely to experience academic setbacks, poverty, and mental health issues, with risk levels up to two times higher than children from stable families.
But outcomes vary. Research shows that parental conflict, rather than divorce itself, is often the key driver of harm. According to Kamanga, children from high-conflict households may actually benefit when separation reduces hostility at home.”
Experts say Zimbabwe needs urgent reforms in family law, counselling, and child support systems. Currently, courts are overwhelmed, and post-divorce mediation is underutilised.
“Mediation could change everything,” said social worker Portia Masuku. “If parents can resolve disputes outside court, they lower the stress for children and themselves.”
Globally, conversations around divorce are shifting from blame to balance, with a focus on co-parenting and child-centered decision-making. Masuku adds, “Zimbabwe is beginning to walk the same path, though challenges remain.”
