The Chairperson of the Commission for Gender Equality Advocate Nthabiseng Sepanya-Mogale says the current marriage bill is clear on the age at which girls are allowed to be married, despite concerns that it allows for parents or guardians of underage girls to give consent.
The report revealed that 188 of them were brides, while 19 were grooms and 37 of the marriages were registered as civil marriages, while 19 were customary.
Sepanya-Mogale says that granting consent is an exception rather than a rule says, “Because there are situations that families, will get wrong, or they may not know the correct age of one of the parties in a union. So, that then is allowed that either the guardian, parent or even the official at home affairs can condone it, but it does not say must, it says may. The Marriage Bill is clear, marriage can only happen for those people who are 18 and above.”
VIDEO: Sepanya-Mogale on Stats SA figures show 207 children married off in 2021:
