Customary Marriages Amendments Bill

Posted in: on 24/11/2020 | Categorised as ,

  1. The MF welcomes the Customary Marriages Amendments Act to bring it in line with jurisprudence.
  2. The MF agrees that previous provisions were limited and limiting on the rights of women.
  3. A month ago, I had a casework of a young woman whose marriage was registered by her pastor and documents submitted to the Home Affairs. Officials did not process the documents and currently, she’s widowed with a 5 month old baby and cannot access her husband’s benefits and her child cant be registered on the father’s name all due to lockdown delays. These are the current red-tapes with Customary Marriages.
  4. The MF calls for this Amendment Act to be retrospective so that women like the example from the casework, I spoke on can be justly treated in our legal system with their rights restored as they do believe in the Institution of Marriage. These are new matters that need to be looked at although this Bill is welcomed for women in polygamous marriages in terms of being equally treated in terms of property rights.
  5. The MF supports this Customary Marriage Amendment Bill and awaits consultation on the Marriage Policy to be concluded by March 2021 by Home Affairs.
  6. Thank you

Hon. S. Thakur-Rajbansi

DETAILS

Debated by: Hon. Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi

Minority Front Leader (KZN Legislature)

Date: Tue 24 Nov 2020

Time: 10:00 to 16:00

Word Count: 206 Words

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