Cabinet has called on couples to register their customary marriages at Home Affairs within three months of their marriage.
This comes after a High Court KwaZulu-Natal Division judgment in the matter involving the applicant, Phumza Ethel Mankayi and the respondents, the Minister of Home Affairs, Ntombizakhe Portia Miya and the Master of the High Court of South Africa.
The judgment affirms the rights of people married under the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, 1998 (Act 120 of 1998), said Cabinet in a statement on Thursday.
The Minister of Home Affairs has therefore extended the registration period to 30 June 2024 to cater for those whose marriages that were not registered within three months.
To register, people need to bring proof of lobola negotiations or a letter and an affidavit from people getting married and their witnesses, indicating that a marriage was entered into or celebrated.
Cabinet said to date, only 99 491 customary marriages have been registered at Home Affairs since the law came into effect in November 2000.
Source: South African Government News Agency