This archive report was first published on 23 April 2020.
Luanda, Angola - In a funeral that drew attention to the country's widespread practice of polygamy, Francisco Tchikteny Sabalo, a prominent polygamist known as 'Pai Gande' or 'Big Dad', was laid to rest on the weekend of April 23, 2020.
The funeral was attended by his seven wives, 156 surviving children, and 250 grandchildren, a testament to the large family he left behind.
Tchikteny, who was in his early 70s, died last week of prostate cancer after seeking treatment in Luanda and elsewhere for over a year.
His first wife, Eva Domingos Bartolomeu, expressed her hope to keep the family united according to his wishes, saying, "I will do anything to keep his children fed and okay."
The family primarily relies on farming for survival, with three of his daughters studying medical sciences and two sons learning computer science.
Angola's law prohibits polygamy, although it is widely practiced, a phenomenon similar to that of Kenya's Ancentus Akuku, nicknamed 'Akuku Danger', who died in 2010 after marrying more than 100 women and siring children.
