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In various decided cases, our Courts have pronounced some interesting legal principles with regards to customary marriages, which are binding in South Africa. It was decided in the case of Mbungela And Another v Mkabi And Others (820/2018) [2019] ZASCA 134 that lobola does not necessarily require to have been paid in full in order for a customary marriage to be valid, as long as other requirements were complied with. The same case (Mbungela) and the case of Tsambo v Sengadi (SCA) (unreported case no 244/19, 30-4-2020) it was also upheld that the handing over of the bride is not indispensable.
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In our previous discussion on this topic, we noted that the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 120 of 1998 (the Act) [as amended] was promulgated to formalize customary marriages in South Africa.
Towards the end of November last year, someone randomly posted on the popular social media platform Facebook the following, “Guys please advise me, if a car hits me later today when I walk to the football game, will Road Accident Fund pay me before Christmas?”
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This article is part 2 of a series where our attorneys debunk some myths on customary marriages. There are many myths and opinions in public discourse with regards to the principles surrounding customary marriages.
From our experience, we have discovered that there is quite a number of couples whom the law recognizes as married under customary law, whereas the couples consider themselves not. It comes as a shock when they are eventually advised that in fact the law recognizes them as married. Most often this happens where families conduct indigenous customary marriage rites in anticipation of a “white” wedding at a later stage. In this discussion we will debunk some myths and share insights with regard to customary marriages.
A difference in opinion is sometimes inevitable whenever a decision has to be made jointly amongst a group of people, and often at times this results in confrontations and disputes. In some instances, these disagreements often have to be resolved before the Courts or by any other dispute resolution process available. In most contracts even, parties usually provide for a dispute resolution process should a dispute arise during the currency of the agreement. What happens when, during the administration of a deceased estate, the co-executors do not agree with each other?
The Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 120 of 1998 sought to formalize and attach legal effect to customary marriages in South Africa, as well as to bring certainty on how such marriages can achieve formal status. Indigenous customs in South Africa are so vast that it would have been difficult to harmonize all of them into one single accepted code. This is evident from the wording of section 3(1)(b) of the Act. The question then becomes, does this pull against legal certainty?
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