Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has clarified that the key change introduced by the 2022 Marriage Act is the establishment of 18 as the minimum age for marriage. This clarification comes in response to widespread misinformation circulating on social media.
Minister Ziyambi emphasized that recent posts regarding the new Marriage Act are misleading and designed to confuse the public.
The new legislation consolidates previous separate laws governing civil and customary marriages into a single, comprehensive framework. He explained that while the Act does not alter the existing requirements for valid civil or registered customary marriages, it does prohibit child marriages.
This change is in line with the Constitution, which mandates that the minimum marriage age be set at 18.
Furthermore, Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi highlighted that the practice of paying roora (or lobola) continues to be a requirement for customary marriages.
