Africa News of Friday, 21 May 2021

Source: www.bbc.com

Polyandry: South Africa new marriage act dey propose women to marry more than one husband

South Africa want allow make one woman marry more than one man South Africa want allow make one woman marry more than one man

Di proposal wey South Africa goment dey reason wey go allow women to fit marry more than one husband don generate plenty reactions for di kontri.

South Africa Department of Home Affairs for inside one landmark policy document wey dem publish recently bin accept say make polyandry dey legally recognised as a form of marriage.

Dis one mean say women go fit marry pass one husband like di polygyny wey dey currently recognized for di kontri, where polygamous men fit marry many wives.

Di department Green Paper on Marriages state say di reason why dem dey review di kontri marriage act na because di current act dey discriminatory and e no promote equality.

For now, di idea still dey under public consultation. But, if these changes go through, dis go be a big first for Africa.

Many of di residents for social media don para say e no dey right but odas hail di idea as welcome development if e make am into law.

Di Green Paper di ministry put forward also consider proposals wey go recognise Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Rastafarian marriages.

However, di Home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi say di Green Paper, wey polyandry among other proposals dey raised, no be di official policy position of government.

Oga Motsoaledi tok say no doubt South Africa needs new marriage policy based on di three pillars of di constitution wey be equality, non-discrimination and human dignity. E add join say for now, to marry for SA, you go need choose between three acts of parliament; Marriage Act of 1961, Recognition of Customary Marriage Act of 1998 and di Civil Union Act of 2006, wey provide for same-sex marriages.

E say di three acts get many gaps, omissions and weaknesses and e no cater or give recognition to Muslim marriages, Hindu marriages and marriages wey dey conducted according to Jewish rites.

Wetin be di Green paper on Marriage wey goment dey propose?

Di Green Paper on Marriages (Green Paper) na product of extensive research and consultation. Dem start di process for 2019/2020 financial year, when di DHA host country-wide ministerial dialogues wit various interest groups wit di purpose of stimulating discussions and soliciting inputs on di key issues wey di marriage policy go address.

Di purpose of di marriage policy na to establish a policy foundation wey go regulate di marriages of all di pipo wey dey live for South Africa, including citizens, international migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.

D new Marriage Act go allow South Africans of different religious and cultural persuasions to conclude legal marriages wey go agree wit di doctrine of equality, non-discrimination and human dignity as e follow dey for di Constitution of di Republic of South Africa.