Residents of the North West Province will have the opportunity to share their views on South Africa’s evolving marriage laws when Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs hosts a round of public hearings on the Marriage Bill [B43—2023] this weekend. The hearings will take place in three districts: Rustenburg (13 June), Mahikeng (14 June), and Vryburg (15 June), with the final session to be held at the Naledi Local Municipality Banquet Hall from 10:00 to 15:00.

The Bill proposes a complete overhaul of South Africa’s marriage laws by consolidating the three current statutes — governing civil marriages, customary marriages, and civil unions — into one inclusive piece of legislation. It aims to legally recognise all marriages regardless of religion, belief, custom, or sexual orientation and prohibits child marriages by setting the legal age of marriage at 18 years or older.

Chairperson of the Committee, Mr. Mosa Chabane, emphasised the importance of community participation in shaping this legislation. “Public involvement is a constitutional obligation and a pillar of our democracy. The people’s input helps ensure that our laws reflect the values, needs, and beliefs of all South Africans,” he said.

Public education teams have already been active across the province to ensure that community members are well-informed ahead of the hearings. Participants are encouraged to make meaningful contributions during these sessions.

Some of the key proposals within the Bill include:

The legal recognition of all marriage types in South Africa

The banning of underage marriages and stricter penalties for transgressors

Empowering the Minister of Home Affairs to appoint marriage officers from all sectors, including traditional leadership

Introducing stricter rules to verify marriages involving foreign nationals to prevent abuse of the system

In previous hearings in other provinces, community members expressed strong support for harsher penalties for forced marriages, particularly the practice of Ukuthwala. There have also been calls to raise the legal marriage age to 21 to ensure that individuals are mature enough to enter into such unions.

All North West residents, including those in Vryburg and surrounding areas, are encouraged to attend and participate in this vital legislative process. This is a unique chance to influence national laws that affect family life, tradition, and cultural recognition.

Let your voice be heard — your input matters!

-The VIP Team

-NWPL

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