Residents in Lenyenye outside Tzaneen in Limpopo’s Mopani District have called for tighter regulation of marriages between South Africans and foreign nationals, alleging that fraudulent unions are increasing and that poverty can make people vulnerable to “bogus marriages”.

The concerns were raised during public hearings on the draft Marriage Bill at the Lenyenye Community Hall this week, where residents proposed clearly defined timelines for marriage verification to give the Department of Home Affairs time to verify documents submitted by foreign nationals and to strengthen vetting processes.

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“Participants told the committee that many South African women succumb to the pressure of poverty and other negative socio-economic realities under which they live and end up in fraudulent marriages, often unaware of the legal implications. They believe that tighter legislative measures would help deal with this trend,” said Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs spokesperson, Malatswa Molepo.  

The committee is holding provincial hearings on the Marriage Bill in Limpopo from 2 to 5 February, the final leg of a nationwide public participation process.

The Limpopo programme began in Mopani District and is expected to conclude in Sekhukhune District, incorporating all three districts in the province, including Vhembe.

Committee chairperson Mosa Chabane said the hearings were intended to ensure the final Bill reflects public views, and encouraged residents to participate.

“The Marriage Bill seeks to repeal the existing three separate marriage laws and replace them with a single, inclusive statute that recognises all forms of marriage – civil, customary, and religious – regardless of sexual orientation, belief or cultural practice,” Mosa said.

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At the hearings, residents also expressed support for the designation of traditional leaders as marriage officers, he said, given their role in rural communities.

Residents called for closer collaboration between traditional leadership and the Department of Home Affairs to prevent duplication and “dual marriages” that could lead to legal disputes.

Molepo said residents proposed raising the minimum age of consent, saying that 18 years remained “too young” and that children should be protected and allowed space to focus on their studies before marrying.

“Strong views were expressed regarding same-sex marriages, with the majority of participants stating that such unions contradict their religious beliefs and cultural norms,” Molepo added.

“However, some participants opposed this view, arguing that same-sex marriages are protected under the Constitution and that all South Africans have the right to choose whom they love and marry.”

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Limpopo’s department of education has told parents, teachers and schools in the flood-hit Vhembe and Mopani districts not to reopen schools on Wednesday, warning that heavy rains have created dangerous conditions and disrupted key services, including school meals and scholar transport.

The department said the rains and flooding had affected the delivery of food to schools and added that scholar transport vehicles could also face difficulties.

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“The Department wishes to inform parents, guardians and teachers in the affected two districts to take caution and not reopen schools [on Wednesday]. This is to ensure the safety of learners and educators within the affected areas,” the department said.

“The department will advise when it is suitable for schooling to resume in the affected areas.”

The warning came after heavy rains caused major disruptions across the two districts, with videos shared on social media showing water flowing above bridges and the destruction of gravel roads, leaving villagers stranded and unable to travel to the nearest towns.

The South African Weather Service has issued a level 9 warning for Wednesday, which the department said meant heavy rains were expected to persist into the weekend.

Citing heightened risks to younger children, especially those in the early grades, the department said it would closely monitor the situation and dispatch a disaster management team.

A concerned parent, Nsovo Ndlovu from Ngove outside Giyani, told Inside Education she was worried about the continuing downpours, saying they had dampened her young boy’s excitement about returning to school.

 He could not travel because of damaged roads and flooding, said Ndlovu.

Working in Giyani town as a hairdresser, Ndlovu said she had suffered significant income losses because she was unable to travel to work, and feared the ongoing rainfall would leave her financially stretched for the rest of January.

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“It is quite sad, the timing of this rain is off. This week with many people going back to work and students back to school, hairdressers stood to make a substantial income, but we have missed on all that because of this rain,” she said.

“A lot of preparations had gone into making sure that the reopening of schools was special for my son, with a new uniform for a new grade. He was going to rekindle with friends he last saw last year, but now he has to wait a much longer. He is also disappointed. But hopefully this rain stops soon and our lives back to normal.”

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