DO YOU TAKE THESE MEN TO BE YOUR LAWFUL WEDDED HUSBANDS?

The plan to make polyandry legal in South Africa has been hotly debated. Here’s what you need to know to join the conversation

- LESEGO SEOKWANG

CRITICS say it flies in the face of African custom and will tear apart our social fabric, absolving men of their family responsibilities and leading to a generation of kids not knowing their fathers.

Those in favour say it’s a big step for gender equality in South Africa and will advance economic and cultural freedoms for women.

The “it” in question are the proposed changes to the Marriage Act, which aims to allow everyone in the country to have recognised legal marriages.

Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Rastafarian marriages are still not recognised by South African law and the department of home affairs recently published a 67-page policy document to address discrimination in the Marriage Act.

But there’s one proposed change in the extensive green paper that’s really getting people hot under the collar: making polyandry legal.

If it’s signed into law, it means women will be allowed to have more than one husband. Only polygamy is currently legalised in SA and many men have more than one wife – and as far as those opposed to the new changes are concerned, that’s the way it should stay.

“Women will be robbed in the marriage and divorces will be high,” says Reverend Kenneth Meshoe, leader of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP).

Ganief Hendricks, leader of the Al Jama- ah party, which aims to uphold Muslim interests, says polyandrous marriages will confuse children.

“You can imagine when a child is born, more DNA tests will be needed to discover who the father is. The problem is only going to get worse.”