Durban — Social media platform TikTok was buzzing when a South African couple from Johannesburg trended for their unconventional relationship agreement contract.
Khensile Mlangeni and her boyfriend Mbongeni Mazibuko posted a video online.
“Mbongeni and I met in Ennerdale. I was with my friend and he was driving past in a taxi. He stopped to greet us, but we did not respond the first time. He then made a U-turn and that is when we responded. He asked to speak to me, and we exchanged numbers. This happened on December 30 last year,” said Mlangeni.
Mlangeni said that personal interactions started well between them but then quickly fell apart because they did not have any firm boundaries and/or rules mainly because they were not official at the time. They were on again and off again, not on the same page and this drove a wedge between them and they ended up going their separate ways.
“In April 2024, we started speaking again and then on May 7 we decided to give things another go – officially this time. To avoid the confusion and the disagreements that led to our breakup before, we decided to draw up a contract to set clear boundaries which we could not sign since I had been in hospital. We did however manage to sign it on May 30,” said Mlangeni.
@khensii_m Still in loveee ❤️ #relationship #love #dating #bf #gf #godcenteredrelationship ♬ original sound - LLOYISO
The main point of the contract would be exclusivity since the previous disagreements were mainly caused by the involvement of other parties in the “situationship” the couple were in before making things official, Mlangeni said.
“The penalties of breaching would be contingent upon the breached clause. For instance, since we are an exclusive couple, cheating would result in the termination of the contract. However, for the lighter clauses, such as the posting clause, we would communicate and find common ground on how to amend things since we are still human and mistakes are bound to happen,” said Mlangeni.
She said that the negative comments online really stood out to her.
“Not necessarily because they got to me but they showed me how much people did not understand the clarity that comes from having a relationship contract. It just emphasised how many problems we won’t have to deal with because it’s already a done deal in the contract.”
Mlangeni said that she has been approached by a few people who have bought the contract template.
“I managed to sell the contract to a few people. Some people were not willing to purchase it and that is okay. The reason it is for sale is because we don’t want the same things in our relationships so I was – and still am – willing to tailor it specifically to fit the customer’s relationship and that cannot be free,” she said.
She said that despite having a contract, willingness is important.
“Mbongeni and I have faced many challenges but the main thing that has kept us going is the willingness to fight for one another. However, fighting is pointless if there is nothing to protect. So now, we are not just fighting for each other but we are also fighting to protect the contract’s longevity,” she said.
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News