Polygamy is the practice of being wed to more than one spouse. According to Merriam-Webster polygamy is defined as “marriage in which a spouse of either sex may have more than one mate at the same time”. It is legal in South Africa under certain circumstances. Many African traditions allow polygamy as it is normal for a man to have more than one wife.
Before 1998
According to section 11(3) of the Repeal of the Black Administration Act (BAA) and the Natal Code of Zulu Law of 1985, women in customary marriages were seen as less than their husbands and held a lower status. They were regarded as a minor. This act meant that women in these marriages could not own property and acquire credit.
There were attempts to fix this. Section 11A was implemented. It removed the property and credit issue but did not change their legal status. Changes were then made to consider women over the age of 21 as legal majorities. This however did not work because Section 27(3) of the Natal Code (1985) still stated that a husband had control of his wife or wives.
Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 120 of 1998 (RCMA) made these unions legal including polygamous marriages. This law was instated in order to improve a womans position in a customary marriage. It was here that it was first stated that a woman shall be equal to her husband.
Our law now
South African law states that in order for a polygamous marriage to be legal both partners need to be over the age of 18, they must consent to the union under customary law, that law must be followed, negotiated and celebrated. This was instated in Act No. 120 of 1998.
A customary marriage must be registered. This is very important especially with polygamous marriages. If you wed a man in a traditional ceremony, you may consider yourselves as married. If your husband weds again and that marriage is registered at Home Affairs, the registered marriage parties are entitled to everything because it’s on record.
If the marriage is not registered and the husband dies there is a chance that she will be left with nothing. The husband’s family can claim everything and explain that the wife or wives will not get anything because there is no legal obligation.
It’s a man’s world
South Africa does not recognise polyandry which is the practice of a woman having more than one husband. This is because polygamy is legal under certain circumstance in South Africa. The circumstances being practices of various cultures and religions in South Africa. Unfortunately there are no religions or cultures that recognise a woman having multiple husbands. So if there’s no recognition it doesn’t fall under ‘certain circumstances’, therefore only men are legally allowed to be polygamists in South Africa.
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Your nails may seem insignificant compared to your wedding dress but they still need to stand out. Your hands will be on show, from guests wanting to have…
On July 28, 2019 social media influencers Jake Paul and Tana Mongeau headed to Las Vegas for their grand wedding. Fans were given the opportunity to live stream the wedding for $50 (R745) fee. The influencers gathered an audience of 66 000 people. The first issue popped up with the masses complained that the quality of the stream was terrible, shaky and the video lagged.
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if this plane crashes it’d be legendary… wish us luck… also time to get married ???
Before you start calculating what 50 times 66 000 is, those who requested a refund were reimbursed. The wedding was reported to be 10 minutes long and included a fight that seemed a bit too staged to be true.
Influencers have to constantly come up with fresh and exciting content to maintain their following. Audiences follow them for a good laugh, tips on various things or just because they genuinely enjoy keeping up with they exciting lives.
Jake and Tana took the influencer game to the next level. They sparked rumours about dating in April 2019 when the pair were spending a lot of time together and featured extensively on each others social media accounts. Tana created a lot of hype around her 21st birthday and a YouTube reality series MTV’s No Filter: Tana Turns 21 premiered two weeks after her birthday detailing the event.
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when ur real life engagement raises ur instagram engagement > ? HI FIANCÉE
Jake proposed to Tana at the big birthday bash. Many believed that the proposal was just a publicity stunt but the the influential couple went ahead and then shared their engagement photoshoot snaps.
A recent episode aired and featured Tana admitting it was all a publicity stunt. It was implied that the whole affair was for the content. She took to twitter to defend herself, explaining that those things were said long before the wedding and it was edited out of context.
confessionals for the show A LONG TIME AGO! the “for fun and content” sound bite was from a very long sentence lmao and was a little salty to see it pulled out of context.. i understand though that MTV has their own creative & that these episodes are airing very late, especially
— Tana Paul (@tanamongeau) August 1, 2019
Whether or not it was fake both Jake and Tana have received more followers on their social media platforms since their love ‘affair’.
Picture: Instagram/Tana Mongeau
By Mariska van Zyl Step aside bride, it’s important for the groom to look sharp on his wedding day too. Here are our 5 fashion rules no groom…
The wedding between Prince Charles and Lady Diana was anything but happily ever after. To the avid royal follower, it was nothing short of a fairytale. From her dreamy ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown, to her impressive 7.62m train and a 1.4m tulle veil – it was picture-perfect.
What most didn’t know is that there were a string of unfortunate incidents throughout the day – even a princess has mishaps on her special day. Here are a few rather interesting things that didn’t go according to plan.
1. Spilled perfume
After Diana put her gown on she tried to dab some perfume onto her pulse points and mistakenly dropped the bottle on her dress. According to her makeup artist, Barbara Daly, the signature scent created especially for her big day spilled down the front of the wedding gown. Daly tried frantically to wipe the dress but it left a large stain behind. The best advice Daly could give the princess was to hold the dress where the scent had spilled and pretend as though she is lifting it up to avoid tripping over it. Luckily, no one even noticed.
2. The tiny carriage wrinkled her dress
The ideal arrival is a horse-drawn carriage… unless you are wearing a massive ballgown with a 7.6m train and big puffy sleeves, of course. Lady Diana and her father John Spencer were transported to St Paul’s Cathedral in the Queen’s ceremonial glass coach. While very beautiful, the carriage is also rather small. When Diana hopped out of the carriage, her dress and train was noticeably creased. Alas, she had to walk down the aisle all a little wrinkled.
3. Getting married was a headache
Quite literally, according to Charles Spence, Diana’s brother, she had a massive headache the entire day because of the heavy tiara. While it is tradition to wear one of the Queen’s tiaras, Diana instead opted for a Spencer family heirloom, which weighed heavily on her head.
4. The wrong name
All of England loved her for it – when it came time to recite her vows at the alter, in front of the entire world watching, Diana mistakenly called the Prince, “Philip Charles” Arthur George, instead of “Charles Philip” Arthur George. A tongue twister of note, and with so many people watching, all was forgiven.
5. Charles returned the favour
Charles laughed off Diana’s faux pax, then returned the favour. While reciting his vows to her, he ‘accidentally’ changed the wording – instead of “my worldly goods,” he said “thy goods”.
The lesson from all of these missteps? Some things will always go wrong – even fairytales don’t have it all together.
Pictures: Getty Images
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There is no right or wrong answer to what a newlywed couple should do on their honeymoon. You should do what feels right for you and what you are interested in. If seeing some of the most beautiful and natural sights in the world is something you want to tick off your bucket list, then consider these places:
Peru
Peru is known for its ancient ruins and beautiful museums, as well as delicious food and rich culture.
Australia
A variety of culture and sights to see made all the more enjoyable by the friendly locals.
Scandinavia
Full of natural wonders and an impressive stance on ecotourism and sustainability.
USA
The USA comprises of many landscapes, climates and yes, even natural wonders.
Zambia
Home to a vast wilderness and diverse wildlife bringing you a new adventure every day.
South Africa
One of the places that seems to have it all, sightseeing being one of them.
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