Home Affairs are considering registration of marriages to be allowed under Level 3 of the national lockdown.

The department is currently dealing with a tremendous backlog in birth registrations which have accumulated during Level 5, according to News24.  They restarted these registrations on May 1.

“The department had an estimated backlog of 81 650 [registrations] at the beginning of Level 4 lockdown,” its acting director-general, Jackie MacKay, told the committee.

“Of the aforementioned backlog, the department registered 46 541 births which represent 57% of the above, estimated backlog.”

MacKay added that 35 109 births are yet to be registered and that demand was high for re-issuing of birth certificates and temporary ID certificates.

Finally, MacKay noted that a growing demand for all services provided by the department has led to a discussion about the identification of areas which are to be relaxed as we move through the levels of the national lockdown.

As a result, Home Affairs proposed that the registration of marriages be allowed during Level 3. According to The Citizen, these registrations, if they should be allowed, will happen through appointments.

While we are still unsure of when lockdown Level 3 will be put in place, Ramaphosa has hinted at the chance of it coming before the end of the month.

Image: Pexels

The coronavirus pandemic hs changed weddings as we know them. No longer may large crowds gather to celebrate their loved ones. Couples have had to get incredibly creative to allow their big days to continue. Here are a few ways they’ve adapted.

1. Mask on:

Now that face masks are recommended for wear whenever people step outside their doors, they’ve become a normal part of ones wardrobe. It has even featured in wedding attire. This designer has taken to making haute couture bridal masks. Many newlyweds have taken to posing with their masks, and some even kiss over them.

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2. Coming at you live (stream)

With in-person weddings not allowed, engaged pairs determined to tie the knot have taken to livestreaming their big day. From Facebook to Zoom, technology has never brought us so close. If you’re planning a Zoom wedding of your own, here’s how to make it special.

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3. Creativity is King:

Right now, there are no rules. Drive-thru weddings have grown in popularity as a quick and easy way to tie the knot. We’ve seen a couple get engaged as their ordained minister officiated from a fourth storey apartment window. One couple had their dogs pose as bridesmaids for their at-home wedding, and another had cardboard cutouts as wedding guests. One particularly inventive couple even ‘got married’ on popular game Animal Crossing.

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4. Minimonies:

Many couples have already placed deposits for wedding venues, thus decide to go ahead with their big day albeit it on a much tinier scale. Those still trying to have in-person weddings have taken to ‘minimonies’, an even smaller version of microweddings where couples get hitched with a small guest list of typically under 10. The rest of their guests tune in via livestream. In these uncertain times, minimonies are a great way to still say your I do’s safely.

Feature image: Instagram/Duke Moose

The coronavirus pandemic has hit people hard the world over. As many struggle to make ends meet, others are spurred to action. This rickshaw driver decided to do what he could to help those in need.

Akshay Kothawale from Pune, India, saved 200 000 rupees (R48 764) for his marriage. However, the nuptials were cancelled amid the pandemic. Instead of doing nothing, Kothawale decided to put that money to good use by feeding migrant labourers and those in distress in his area. Together with his friends, Kothawale feeds about 400 people per day.

Not only that, Kothawale is also helping senior citizens and pregnant women by offering them free rides to clinics in his vehicle, and is also going around the city to create awareness on the virus and how to protect yourself from it.

Kothawale explains that it was difficult to see so many people suffer, and wanted to lend a helping hand.

“I saw several people on roads who could not even afford to have one meal and were struggling to survive. I and some of my friends then thought of doing something to help the daily wagers and needy people,” he said. “I decided to use my savings for the cause and some of my friends also chipped in,” said Kothawale.

“Using my auto-rickshaw, we distribute one-time meal among people at Maldhakka Chowk near the railway station, Sangamwadi and Yerawada areas.”

The group plan to continue this feeding scheme until May 31, as their funds are lessening.

Feature image: Unsplash

Sebastian Cina and Jaclyn Hockenjos have had to postpone the day they’ve been planning for months, like many other couples across the world.

The two were supposed to say ‘I do’ tomorrow, May 16 in New Jersey. Instead of grumbling about the misfortune, this power couple instead launched a fundraising campaign called #WithThisRingYoullBeFed and are inviting friends, family and supporters to make donations. The campaign is partnered with a local food bank and will feed families in need.

“We were devastated when we found out we had to postpone our wedding,” said Jaclyn, a first-grade teacher. “Then we thought about it and realized we could use it as a platform to help people in our community, and that’s exactly what we intend on doing.”

More than that, they have even encouraged other couples who postponed their weddings to start their own campaigns.

If you would like to donate, click here: https://bit.ly/2YXs1OK
Join The Movement & Learn More: https://bit.ly/3boYwrV

Image: WithThisRingYoullBeFed

A new policy is in the works at the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) that will bring changes to marriage laws in South Africa.

The DHA, during a presentation to parliament, argued that the existing policies which deal with marriages are not rooted in consitutional values such as nondiscrimination and equality.

According to Business Tech, the DHA said that while there have been many changes since 1994, there are still many flaws in the existing legislation. “For instance, the current legislation does not regulate some religious marriages such as the Hindu, Muslim and other customary marriages that are practised in some African or royal families,” they said.

They acknowlegded that due to the diversity in this country, it would be very difficult to draw up laws which regulate every existing cultural marriage. However, they have begun a process of creating a marriage policy which they hope will “lay a policy foundation for drafting a new single or omnibus legislation.”

Business Tech reported some of the key changes which will be instituted by the policy:

• The new Marriage Act will enable South Africans of different sexual orientation, religious and cultural persuasions to conclude legal marriages;

• The introduction of strict rules around the age of marriage (including the alignment of age of majority in the marriage legislation to the Children’s Act);

• It will align the marriage, matrimonial property and divorce legislation to address matrimonial property and intestate succession matters in the event of the marriage dissolution;

• It will allow for equitable treatment and respect for religious and customary beliefs in line with Section 15 of the Constitution.

• It will deal with the solemnisation and registration of marriages that involve foreign nationals;

• It will deal with the solemnisation and registration of customary marriages that involve non-citizens especially cross-border communities or citizens of our neighbouring countries.

The DHA said that the new policy is to be gazetted in the 2020/21 financial year, for the purpose of consultation from the public. Thereafter, it will be submitted to cabinet by the end of March 2021, in order to be approved.

Image: Unsplash