There is disquiet between traditional leaders in South Africa and its Home Affairs Department as it is planning a law that will allow women to marry more than one man.
The system called polyandry is an option the department is considering to match polygamy which, it believes is a symbol of inequality.
Reports say the 67-page policy document also called Green Paper on Marriages, while highlighting that the current marriage legislation is discriminatory as it does not recognise Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Rastafarian marriages. The policy document also called for polyandry to be legally recognised as a form of marriage.
The policy document said: “This would accommodate both polygyny and polyandry. “…Therefore all marriages, whether monogamous or polygamous, could be concluded regardless of the sex or sexual orientation of the person.
“The political appetite of the country to confront the challenges of the current marriage statute will be tested through these options. However, if Section 9 of the Constitution was to be implemented in its entirety, option 3 will tick all the boxes.
“Ironically, stakeholders who believed in the practice of polygamy … were opposed to the practice of polyandry.
“This is the beginning of a crucial public discourse that will re-define the concept of marriage in South Africa.
“The process will unearth issues that may make some of us uncomfortable, but will encourage dialogue within the South African and international communities.”
South Africans have until the end of June to comment on the department’s proposal
