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The legal consequences of ilobola in African customary marriages in South Africa

Dissertation (LLM (Private Law))--University of Pretoria, 2023.

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Other Authors: Boterere, Shammah
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2024
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author2 Boterere, Shammah
author_browse Boterere, Shammah
author_facet Boterere, Shammah
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (LLM (Private Law))--University of Pretoria, 2023.
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
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provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
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spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/94846 The legal consequences of ilobola in African customary marriages in South Africa Boterere, Shammah kholofelomhlatse@icloud.com Mohlala, Kholofelo Mahlatse Napogadi UCTD Ilobola Customary marriage Validity Requirements Tradition Culture Kinships Recognition of Customary Marriages Act Living customary law Official customary law Dissertation (LLM (Private Law))--University of Pretoria, 2023. South Africa has a hybrid legal system which comprises of among others, common law and customary law. Customary marriages are officially recognised under the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 120 of 1998, however, unwritten living customary law plays a pivotal role in the validation of such marriages. The enactment of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act ensured that customary marriages received equal status like other legally protected marriages in South Africa. However, section 3(1)(b) of this statute which outlines the validity requirements of a customary marriage has had the unintended consequences of creating an inconclusive locus in respect of what a valid customary marriage entails. This provision requires that a marriage be “negotiated” and “entered into” or “celebrated” in accordance with customary law. In terms of living customary law, ilobolo must be followed by the handing over of the bride in order to conclude a customary marriage. This comprises of various events and rituals depending on the ethnic groups involved. In essence these two practices are mandatory for the valid conclusion of a customary marriage. The position is however unclear within the prism of official customary law. This is elaborate in the dissensus within the judiciary in respect of the customary marriage practices that confirm the valid conclusion of a customary marriage. Due to the contestation centred around proving the existence of a valid customary, there are growing debates as a result of the judiciary’s inconsistent and at times misinterpretation on the provisions of section 3(1)(b). In light of this background, this research explores this debate and aims to provide clarity regarding the essential requirements for the valid conclusion of customary marriages in South Africa. In summary, this research investigates the legal consequences that the practice of ilobola paired with the custom of handing over the bride as an integral part of the marriage, have in the validation of a customary marriage. In doing so, the research considers official and living customary law by analysing various conflicting judgments on this debate. The study makes recommendations on how to resolve the inconsistencies, misinterpretations, and discord of what validates a customary marriage. Private Law LLM (Private Law) Unrestricted Faculty of Laws SDG-05:Gender equality 2024-02-22T12:59:35Z 2024-02-22T12:59:35Z 2024-04 2023 Mini Dissertation * A2024 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/94846 en © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Ilobola
Customary marriage
Validity
Requirements
Tradition
Culture
Kinships
Recognition of Customary Marriages Act
Living customary law
Official customary law
The legal consequences of ilobola in African customary marriages in South Africa
title The legal consequences of ilobola in African customary marriages in South Africa
title_full The legal consequences of ilobola in African customary marriages in South Africa
title_fullStr The legal consequences of ilobola in African customary marriages in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed The legal consequences of ilobola in African customary marriages in South Africa
title_short The legal consequences of ilobola in African customary marriages in South Africa
title_sort legal consequences of ilobola in african customary marriages in south africa
topic UCTD
Ilobola
Customary marriage
Validity
Requirements
Tradition
Culture
Kinships
Recognition of Customary Marriages Act
Living customary law
Official customary law
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/94846