MBABANE: The Ministry of Home Affairs in South Africa is preparing a law that would allow women to marry more than one husband just as polygamous men can have many wives, iol News has reported.
The Department of Home published the 67 page policy document last week where the legalization of polyandry was included as one of the wide-ranging proposals, it further included other religious marriages like Jewish, Muslim and Rastafarian that were not recognized by South African law.
Reached for comments, traditionalist Elliot Mkhatjwa and Chairman of the Swaziland Democratic Party (SWADEPA) said the proposed law by the South African Government was against Christian values and might result to chaos within families.
“I don’t see men agreeing to be married to one woman, kusho kutsini loko?, Kusho kutsi utawuba ngumfati wami, kusasa ahambe aye kulomunye, mine ngeke sengivume(meaning: What does this mean? Does this mean she would be my wife and the go on to sleep with another man who is also her husband? I cannot agree to that)”, he said.
African men including Swazis are allowed to marry as many wives as they can in terms of Customary Law, however, with growing calls for gender equality, South African women might be allowed to marry many husbands if they choose to do so.
Traditionalist Elliot Mkhatjwa