Legal Articles and Guides
Zulu royal family returns to ConCourt to remove king
Disgruntled Zulu royal family members are heading back to the Constitutional Court in another attempt to remove King Misuzulu from the throne, reports The Mercury.
Surname ruling fuels customary law debate
A unanimous Constitutional Court ruling affirming SA men's right to adopt their wives’ surnames has ignited debate over customary law's place in a constitutional framework, argues Anthony Diala, director of the Centre for Legal Integration in Africa at the University of the Western Cape.
Khoi and San communities seek recognition
The Khoi and San communities are calling on government to recognise them as the aboriginal people of Southern Africa.
Woman accused of ‘marrying’ partner after his death
A Soshanguve family in northern Pretoria is fighting to restore their late relative’s dignity after uncovering staggering fraud.
'Family houses' should be separated from Act
Disputes over 'family houses' dominate queries at the Orange Farm Advice Centre, notes David Dickinson, attorney with Lawyers for Human Rights and Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Wits University.
Decades old customary marriage still valid
The authorities are clear that even desertion or adultery are not blameworthy conduct to render the dissolution of a customary marriage; they merely are a reason for marital breakdown, an acting judge said in finding that the customary marriage entered into by a couple in 1978 was still in force.
SCA reserves judgment in Zulu king recognition case
The SCA has reserved judgment in the appeal by President Cyril Ramaphosa against the High Court ruling that set aside the President's recognition of King Misuzulu kaZwelithini as king of the Zulu nation.
Royal battle underway in the SCA
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s legal team yesterday maintained that the identification of King Misuzulu as Zulu king was in line with Zulu customary law.
ConCourt ruling settles amaMpondo kingship battle
The Constitutional Court has upheld President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2018 recognition of Zanozuko Tyelovuyo Sigcau as the rightful successor to the throne of amaMpondo aseQaukeni.
Monarch unpacks importance of customary law
Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s lawyer will argue the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) erred in ruling that his recognition is unlawful and invalid when his application is heard by the SCA in November.
ConCourt resolves traditional leader battle
A lengthy legal battle concerning the traditional leadership of Tshibvumo village in Limpopo between the Rambuda and Tshibvumo royal families has ended after the Constitutional Court ruled that the authority to choose the head rests with the Rambuda family.
Zulu monarch fails to halt ‘urgent’ fees payment case
Lawyers representing AmaZulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini said a court application brought by his uncle, Prince Mbonisi, was not urgent and should be struck off the roll, reports News24.
Customary marriage valid
In what a Pretoria News report calls yet another battle between two women who both claim they are the customary wives of their now-dead husband, the Free State High Court (Bloemfontein) has declared the first wife – who was married to him for 26 years and bore him 13 children – is the lawful wife.
Zulu royal tussle heads to court
As the infighting within the Zulu royal family over King Misuzulu’s crowning continues, the appointment of the new traditional prime minister and his deputy will be challenged in court this week.
No strict rules for customary marriage
A woman, identified as ZK, asked the Eastern Cape High Court (Mthatha) to declare the customary marriage entered into between her deceased father and her stepmother invalid on the grounds of non-compliance with the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act.
