-$40k, four brides, one heartbreak
Tendai Muererwa
Mutare-Some men collect cars. Others collect houses. But if there were an award for the most expensive search for true love, Artisanal and Small Scale Miners Association (ASSA) national chairperson Blessing Togarepi would probably be among the frontrunners.
Between 2020 and 2026 Togarepi says he spent a staggering US$31,700 on lobola on four different women, convinced each time that he had finally found “Mrs Right.” Instead, every marriage ended in heartbreak. His longest marriage lasted just 14 days, while another reportedly collapsed before the couple had even spent a single night together.
It all began in 2020 when Togarepi paid US$9,200 in lobola to marry Anita Nyoni. Like every groom he probably imagined a lifetime of happiness. Instead, according to him, the marriage lasted less than a week after disagreements allegedly drove the couple apart, with both families later pointing fingers at each other. Many people would have taken a break after such an experience. Not Blessing.
In 2021, he tried again, this time going all out. He paid a whopping US$18,000 in lobola to marry Natasha Chamisa. There was a glamorous wedding, celebrations and hopes of forever. The couple even had a son together. But just 14 days later, the marriage collapsed, making it the longest of his four marriages.
Still refusing to surrender in the battle for love, Togarepi entered marriage number three. He paid US$1,000 in lobola to marry Providence Kufakwenyika. Sadly, that relationship reportedly survived only five days before ending. By now, social media users joke that even a loaf of bread has a longer shelf life than some of Blessing’s marriages. But behind the laughter is a man who, four times, believed he had found his life partner. His fourth marriage would become the one that captured national attention.
On 6 June 2026, Togarepi married Mutare content creator and TikToker Aisha Chihota, paying US$3,500 in lobola, although other reports put the figure at US$3,573. According to Togarepi, the marriage ended before it had even started because Aisha never moved into their matrimonial home and the couple never spent a night together as husband and wife. He demanded a full refund of the lobola from his in-laws. When they allegedly offered to refund only US$1, he took the matter before Chief Mutasa, who reportedly ruled that the full lobola should be refunded since the couple had never cohabited.
The story quickly exploded on social media, where Zimbabweans did what they know best—turn pain into comedy. Some joked that Blessing had become “the shareholder of lobola.” Others said he deserved a loyalty card after paying lobola four times. Another quipped that at US$31,700 he could have bought a house a fleet of commuter omnibuses or even invested in a mine instead of chasing love.
But as the jokes spread, the story took another dramatic twist. Breaking her silence, Aisha Chihota rejected allegations that she had defrauded Togarepi, insisting she had done nothing wrong. She said every dollar she received from him had been sent voluntarily and strictly for business purposes as he had instructed, denying she ever took money for her own benefit.
Aisha also claimed that before the marriage ceremony, Togarepi repeatedly changed their wedding dates, explaining that his finances had been drained because a close relative was suffering from terminal cancer. According to her, her grandmother advised postponing the marriage until he was financially stable, but Togarepi insisted on proceeding.
She further alleged that although they had initially discussed lobola of around US$6,500, he paid considerably less during the ceremony. She said she even contributed US$50 from her own pocket towards decorations, transport and fuel after he reportedly told her he had run out of money.
Perhaps the most serious allegation she made was that the day after their traditional marriage, Togarepi allegedly slapped her across the face in public after she arrived late because she had been attending to household responsibilities. She said the incident left her frightened and shocked.
Aisha also accused him of verbally disrespecting her and her mother before taking their private dispute public. She said repeated phone calls, messages and public accusations caused her emotional distress and made her fear for her safety.
Togarepi however has maintained that the marriage never truly existed because his wife never came to live with him. The dispute over the lobola eventually found its way before Chief Mutasa’s traditional court, where the chief reportedly ordered that the lobola be refunded.
Today, the saga has become one of Zimbabwe’s most talked-about relationship stories. Some sympathise with Blessing, saying he is simply a man whose search for love has been painfully unlucky. Others believe Aisha’s account raises important questions that deserve to be heard. With both sides presenting conflicting versions of events, only they know what truly happened behind closed doors.
One thing, however is beyond dispute. After spending US$31,700 across four marriages in six years, Blessing Togarepi’s search for lasting love has become a reminder that while lobola can unite families, it cannot guarantee a successful marriage. Love has no receipt, no refund policy and sometimes no happy ending.
