West Rand District residents reject draft Marriage Bill

Residents of the West Rand District Municipality in Gauteng have rejected the draft Marriage Bill, saying it brings a whole set of additional wrongs that have the potential to violate the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

The first public hearing on the Marriage bill was held in the municipality on Tuesday.

The proposed Marriage Bill seeks to establish a unified system for all marriages in South Africa.

Supporters argue that it addresses inequalities in the current framework, which treats civil, customary, and Muslim marriages differently.

But even though the bill aims to combine different marriage laws into one inclusive legislation for all type of marriage, the Muslim community was not pleased with the Constitutional Court order.

The Department of Home Affairs was also accused of sacrificing the dignity of Muslims for convenience.

 “It is strange that the government wants to continue with the idea of a single Marriage Bill