The nationwide lockdown offered married couples an opportunity to rekindle their love for one another. However, it seems the age-old adage was right, and absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder.
The lockdown has put immense pressure on our daily lives, it seems the pandemic has also put substantial strain on relationships. The strain in relationships can be seen with couples being cooped up in their homes, not able to escape for a moment’s worth of privacy.
In China, who went into lockdown before South Africa, the negative consequences of the lockdown on relationships was seen within a matter of weeks.
In April, Zhang Fujian, director or Wuhan Marriage and Family Committee, claimed the divorce rate in Wuhan doubled from its level prior to the outbreak. This is after the divorce application procedure was suspended during its two-month lockdown.
Saudia Arabia also noticed a significant spike of 30% in its divorce cases since the implementation of the country’s lockdown.
Where does that leave South Africa? By how much has our country’s divorce rate increased?
Best Casino Sites.net conducted a study, which analysed the divorce rates of 87 countries worldwide. It was conducted by identifying the number of divorces in each country between 2007 and 2017 and dividing it by the total adult population.
According to the study, South Africa ranks 83rd in the probability of couples getting a divorce. DIY Legal, looked into the matter to establish what they could learn.
DIY Legal, found there was a 20% increase nationally in divorce applications since Level 4. It further found, there was an increase in interest during Level 5 of the lockdown. However, during this time, the majority of couples waited until they weren’t locked down before they began with divorce proceedings.
Furthermore, DIY Legal discovered that most couples claimed enforced time spent together, stress and challenges of COVID-19, as well as financial stress due to losing their jobs during the pandemic, contributed to the cause of their divorce.
Apparently, in 62% of DIY Legal cases, it was the wife which began with the divorce proceedings, which contrasts with a total of 51% of divorces countrywide.
With international and national trends showing a sharp spike in divorces, will couples be able to re-discover their spark now that the regulations have eased? Or has the lockdown exposed underlying conflicts which can no longer be ignored?
Author: Quinton Boucher
Edited: Calvin Swemmer
