In South Africa, whereas males are already legally allowed to have a number of wives, a debate has begun over polyandry or the proven fact that a girl has a number of husbands. A style of marriage that continues to be very uncommon on this planet. The federal government has revealed a doc inspecting the varied factors in a doable reform of South Africa’s marriage legislation. And among the many choices being thought-about to make the textual content as equal as doable is the trail to recognizing polyandry.
as reported from Johannesburg, Claire Bargelès
This doc comprises numerous choices for making South African marriage legislation extra inclusive. And one among them could be to acknowledge polyandry, with the intention to, based on the Ministry of the Inside, be as a lot as doable in accordance with the precept of equality acknowledged within the Structure.
Heated debate
It was not obligatory to launch a heated debate, on social networks, but in addition in Parliament. Members of non secular events, Christians and Muslims, criticized a “non-African” follow that might be a supply of battle.
The doc additionally emphasizes that in consultations, paradoxically, it’s folks for polygamy who now oppose polyandry.
Forestall little one marriage
Following these preliminary reactions, the House Secretary regrets that this level diverts consideration from the guts of the textual content, which goals to make the legislation extra inclusive of the different sorts of cultural and spiritual marriages and stop little one marriages. This doc is barely step one in drafting a legislation, and South Africans at the moment are urged to touch upon it earlier than drafting a extra exact textual content.
►Pay attention: Is polygamy profitable amongst youth?
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