With just five days left before the deadline, the Department of Home Affairs has urged couples with unregistered customary marriages to come forward and regularise their marital status before the special registration period closes on 31 August.

The Citizen reports that the department launched a special registration period on 1 September 2024 to allow people whose customary marriages were not registered within the prescribed period to register them: ‘This includes marriages concluded before the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act came into effect in November 2000, as well as those concluded thereafter but not registered within the required timeframe’.

It also called on traditional leaders, community leaders and civil society organisations to help ensure affected couples know about the deadline.

The Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 120 of 1998 came into effect on 15 November 2000. For a customary marriage entered into after that date:

* The marriage must be negotiated and entered into or celebrated by customary law;

* The prospective persons intending to marry must be above the age of 18 years;

* Both prospective persons intending to marry must consent to the marriage; and

* No further customary marriages may be entered into unless the prospective husband obtains a court order to approve a written contract regulating the future matrimonial property system of these marriages.

‘Customary marriages must be registered within three months from the date of marriage.

This can be done at any office of the Department of Home Affairs,’ it notes. 

The Citizen notes that the department also warned that a customary marriage is prohibited between people who are related by blood or affinity within the prohibited degree of relationship.

Full report in The Citizen