THE prayers and fasting of 16 Kopala women who probably went to mountains, skipped meals and whispered desperate end-of-year requests to heaven just to add the sweet prefix “Mrs” before the curtain fell on 2025 were finally answered at the 11th hour.
Single life was mercilessly kicked out at the Marriage Grounds where Kitwe City Council officiated 16 marriages, officially retiring both bachelorhood and spinsterhood from active duty.
One by one, the couples stepped forward, signed permanent contracts and walked out as legally recognised husbands and wives.
Ululations, nervous laughter and wiping of tears filled the venue as relatives and friends watched their loved ones officially cross over from the dangerous zone of “still searching” to the safety of legal marriage.
The local authority congratulated the newlyweds and urged them to defend each other fiercely during hard times.
For the 16 couples, the transfer window back to single life has officially closed, sealed and stamped by the law.
By George Musonda
Kalemba January 1, 2026
