Resumo

RAMABINA, MT  e  RAUTENBACH, C. Dual Customary and Civil Marriages under the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act: A Critical Analysis of Sedinyane v Malatji (10756/2023) [2024] ZALMPPHC 88 (8 August 2024). PER [online]. 2026, vol.29, n.1, pp.1-19. ISSN 1727-3781.  https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2026/v29i0a21888.

The co-existence of civil and customary marriages continues to present significant legal challenges within the pluralistic legal framework of South Africa. The judgment in Sedinyane v Malatji (10756/2023) [2024] ZALMPPHC 88 (8 August 2024), a judgment of the Limpopo High Court, provides a compelling example of the legal tensions that arise when parties engage in overlapping marital systems. This case note analyses the implications of the ruling, particularly in relation to the dissolution of customary marriages, the legal vulnerability of spouses in invalid civil marriages, and the problematic framing of "civil" marriage in legal terminology. It also briefly reflects on how the pending Marriage Bill [B43-2023] might offer a long-awaited resolution to these systemic tensions and situates the judgment within ongoing law reform initiatives, including the South African Law Reform Commission's Project 144.

Palavras-chave : Customary marriage; civil marriage; Recognition of Customary Marriages Act; RCMA; dissolution; putative marriage; legal pluralism; desertion; Marriage Bill.

        · texto em Inglês     · Inglês ( pdf )