Zimbabwe Passes Marriages Amendment Bill, Bride Price Mandatory
Zimbabwe's Marriages Amendment Bill has been signed into law by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on March 8, 2022. This follows amendments made to the proposed law by the Senate in February 2022.
The payment of lobola before marriage under customary union, is now mandatory, with a clause empowering marriage officers to ascertain whether a bride price was paid.
After the approval of the amendments by Senate in February 2022, the bill had to be returned to the national assembly for it to consider the changes before it was sent to President Mnangagwa, writes Farirai Machivenyika for The Herald.
The bill was initially passed in the national assembly in 2020 but was held up in senate after traditional leaders objected to a clause that said that payment or non-payment of a bride price could not be regarded as a barrier in solemnising marriage between two consenting adults, if they satisfied other requirements of the law.
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Zimbabwe:
Marriages Bill Passed
The Herald, 9 March 2022
The Marriages Bill was yesterday finally passed by the National Assembly following amendments made to the proposed law by Senate last month. Read more »
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Zimbabwe:
No Lobola, No Customary Marriage
The Herald, 10 March 2022
Payment of lobola before marriage under customary union is now mandatory after Parliament passed the Marriages Amendment Bill on Tuesday with a clause empowering marriage officers… Read more »
InFocus
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The government may invoke provisions of the Constitution to resolve differences between the Senate and the National Assembly over the Marriages Amendment Bill if a solution is not ... Read more »
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Disagreements between the government and traditional leaders on a clause related to the payment of lobola and the powers of chiefs as marriage officers, have stalled the Marriages ... Read more »
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While the Marriage Amendment Bill seeks to harmonise marriage laws and address harmful practices like forced marriages and child marriage, the document includes a ban on same-sex ... Read more »
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