‘Register your marriage’ – Why South Africa Home Affairs give couples deadline to register di marital status
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Published28 August 2026
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South Africa Department of Home Affairs don set deadline for married couples to go register dia customary marriages.
Home Affairs say dis deadline dey affect couples wey get unregistered customary marriages.
Dem set 31 August as deadline for di couples to regularise dia marriages and make am legal for di kontri.
Home Affairs Deputy Director-General of Operations, Thulani Mavuso, say di department dey concerned about di legal difficulties wey dey arise wen customary marriages dey unregistered.
Customary marriages na union wey di man and woman dey joined through di traditional and native ways.
According to di Home Affairs, di marriage registration “go allow couples to comply wit di Recognition of Customary Marriages Act of 1998.”
Di Act bin come into effect on 15 November 2000 and dey recognise customary marriages wey don happun bifor di act and also di one wey take place afta. Di Act make am compulsory for all customary marriages to dey registered within three months wey e take place.
Home Affairs say many couples don fail to register dia marriages even though dem sabi say di law dey effective.
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Who dey affected by di marriage registration and why e matter
“Di bigger problem den come in wen one of di spouses dies. We den find oursef to conclude di marriage posthumously. For most instances, e dey contested by families, wey go create problems for matrimonial property and also di conclusion of di estate,” Home Affairs Deputy Director-General say.
E say na to make sure say di marriages dey registered according to di law wey guide marriage for South Africa.
Home Affairs Department say di marriage registration dey important becos say wen one of di spouse kpai, e dey cause problem for di family.
Dem say dis registration deadline come dey necessary becos some couple no gree register dia marriage within di three months period wey di law permit.
“Di extended window cover older marriages wey dem neva register, as well as later unions wey dia statutory three-month registration period don pass,” Home Affairs say.
“Failure to register ti make di spouses dey struggle to prove say dia marriage exist and expose dem to disputes ova assets.”
According to South Africa, dis marriage registration dey important becos e go help dem confam say di marriage dey exist.
Dem also add say women fit suffe if di marriage no dey registered becos say di assets wey belong to di man fit en up for di hand of di wrong pesin, if di husband die.
“For most instances, women suffer if dose marriages no dey registered, and all di assets wey belong to dem ifor di marriage end up ifor di hands of di wrong pipo, e fit be di family of di husband or di wife,” Home Affairs DG say.
Anoda reason why di marriage registration matter for South Africa na to establish di how parents fit get consent wen dem wan apply for passport.
“Di registration fit also help establish di legal relationship between parents wen official consent dey needed for matters wey involve dia minor children, including passport applications.”
For couples wey wan register dia union, dem must provide evidence of customary practice wia di marriage take place. Dem must also get witness wey go fit confam say true true di marriage happun.
Home Affairs say if married couples no register dia customary marriage, e fit put dem for trouble for court too.
“Na very difficult process wey go also subject di department to litigation togeda wit di applicant. We go come go court to defend decision wey for no happun if di couples consider di customary marriage and register am,” di DG say.
Afta di 31 August deadline, South Africa Home Affairs say dem go reject any application wey any unregistered couple submit.
