Since Monday, the social media has been abuzz with African men joining the Stingy Men Association (SMAK), an alleged network of men who are not willing to spend their money on women(wives and girlfriends).

Courtesy of the BBC News(pidgin), this article traces the origin of the movement and what it has achieved so far.

How it started

The Stingy Men Association began in Zambia on social media after a man Leonard Mweembe was arrested for allegedly beating his wife after she asked for money to make her hair in November 2020.

Mweembe repeatedly told his wife that he could not give her the K150(Sh 900) she wanted but could only afford a maximum of K10(Sh60) because he was now a member of the Stingy Men Association of Zambia(SMAZ).

A Zambian news outlet Zambian Observer, reported that Mweembe was arrested after he beat his wife for asking money to make her hair. The wife who was treated at Ndola Teaching Hospital said “it started like a joke.”

In November 2020, the Stingy Men Association had grown into a fully fledged savings organization in Zambia with claims that it bought a passenger plane.

Nigeria

In Nigeria, the Stingy Men Association started in January 2021 as a group of men who were unwilling to spend their money on women. On online platforms, the men shared images of their membership cards.

From their motto which reads: “Let Me See What I Can Do”, association members are supposed to give excuses whenever a woman asks for money from them.

Some of the most common excuses are: “I wish you had told me earlier,” “I am expecting some money next week,” and other reasons to avoid sending money.

An interested person is required to fill a membership form and swear on the association’s oath.

Once a member, a man is supposed to observe strict codes which forbids one from having birthday parties. Also, a member is not supposed to send transport money to a woman.

To have a card, a new member is supposed to download the Stingy Men mobile app from the Google Play Store and fill in personal details from which an electronic card is generated. The Stingy Men mobile app had more than 10,000 downloads on Wednesday.

A Nigerian singer Don Jazzy shared his membership card on Twitter inviting hundreds of men to share theirs too.

Registration complete pic.twitter.com/IU4QPBlrms

— ITS DON JAZZY AGAIN (@DONJAZZY) January 11, 2021

In Kenya, the Stingy Men Association has taken men by storm ahead of the February 14 Valentine’s Day.

Comedian and YouTuber Henry Desagu shared his card as the Treasurer of the SMA Mwihoko branch.

Another member who is yet to generate his card said the maximum he shall be spending on his girlfriend’s hair is Sh600.