Secret of a happy marriage is respect and 'no secrets'

In a time when the country is being terrorised by the ever-rising abuse of women – more often by their own partners - imagining that some couples still manage to share a life in harmony is sometimes hard.

Pastor Nnzekiseni Cedrick Mathoho (57), a well-known local community leader and clergyman, and his wife, Khathutshelo Melvour Mathoho (55), are the true embodiment of what love between man and woman should be. They have been married for 37 years now and say that their love for one another still grows every single day.

They tied the knot back in 1985, when Pastor Mathoho was 20 years old and his bride only 18. Today the happy couple are blessed with three beautiful children. Even after all this time together, Mathoho never tires of showing off his lovely wife in public or on social media. He often declares that she is the best gift he has ever received from the Lord. The couple are inseparable, choosing to spend as much as they can of their time together.

Mathoho, who hails from Tshiombo village outside Thohoyandou, is also the founder and senior pastor of the Living Rock Church of Christ. He told Limpopo Mirror that the most important thing in a marriage was communication. “We do not have any secrets in our family because we share everything. My wife is my best friend, and I feel very fulfilled when she is by my side. One important thing that I love about her is that she is very submissive, and this makes me very protective of her. She treats me with respect, and I feel very proud to be her husband. My life without her would be like an egg without salt. Ours is a match made in heaven, and our love just keeps on growing every day,” he said.

Mathoho said that, despite their heavenly love on earth, they were a normal couple who experienced the same challenges as everybody else. “We make mistakes and have our own weaknesses too, but the most important thing is to sit down and talk it through. We have made forgiveness a part of our lives. This makes it easier to forget the past and move forward. I am always there to lift her up in her weaknesses, and she does the same for me.”

He believes that violence against women can only be avoided if men become best friends with their wives and share ideas with each other, while at the same time asking for God’s wisdom and guidance.

Khathutshelo, who is also a pastor at the same church, said she thanked God for giving her a loving companion who was always there for her. “I feel very blessed to have him in my life, but above all, I praise the Lord every day of my life for our inseparable union. Nothing can separate us because our love is guided by the principles of the Bible.”

She advises young couples to put their love affairs before God and always pray for wisdom to handle the challenges that couples are often faced with.

Date:07 May 2022

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