Stay away from marriage issues, chiefs told
NKWENE – Chiefs should be sidelined from marriage issues because that responsibility is far from their designated mandate.
This view was expressed by some residents under the Nkwene Constituency during a visit by the Parliament Portfolio Committee of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to the inkhundla to solicit public views on the Marriage and the Matrimonial Property Bills on Saturday.
The gathering was at the inkhundla centre.
Mandla Simelane, one of the residents, asked that because in the case of a civil rite marriage, the marriage officer was normally a pastor or a district commissioner (DC), who would officiate in the case of a traditional marriage (Kuteka)?
Debate
Then the debate was on whether chiefs should be roped in.
The portfolio Chairman, Kwaluseni Member of Parliament (MP), Sibusiso Mabhanisi Dlamini, in that regard stated explicitly that the role of chiefs was to be a community link between people and the King. The chairman’s take was that involving chiefs in marriage issues would belittle their status.
Meanwhile, Mshengu Nkambule of Nkwene noted that pastors normally conducted civil marriages even though lobola (bride price) had not been paid.
Nkambule further noted that attaining a marriage certificate from government offices was an arduous task.
Marriages
Mtsenjwa Nkambule of Buseleni asked what would be the role of marriage officers in traditional marriages.
On that regard, Ministry of Justice Legal Advisor, who doubles as Senior State Reporting Officer, Mlondi Sibandze, explained that a marriage officer in a traditional marriage would see to it that the groom and the bride had fully consented to the marriage.
“The role of a marriage officer in a traditional marriage will also be to ensure that the marriage has been registered in the relevant government books,” the government legal eagle explained. Elias ‘Gwaza’ Makhanya of Buseleni requested that the procedures followed when administering marriages (civil or customary) should be clearly explained in the drafted Bills. The Marriage and Property Appropriation Bill draft is yet to be debated in Parliament before being passed into law. Chairman of the Justice Portfolio Committee of Parliament (MP Dlamini) explained to this journalist that he took it upon himself to launch the exercise of visiting the tinkhundla centres to solicit views of the people.
“The subject of marriage and the appropriation of property is a very important one,” MP Dlamini said in an interview over the weekend. “For that reason, I personally went to the Justice Ministry to ask for government back-up as we undertake this important exercise.
“I am very happy that the Justice Ministry is cooperating with us.”
According to the portfolio chairman, the Justice Ministry provides a minibus to transport the MPs who are members of the portfolio committee to the tinkhundla centres on the set dates.
Present during Saturday’s exercise was MP Welcome Shongwe (Nkomiyahlaba), Indvuna YeMakhosi Themba Ginindza (Appointed MP), Nkwene MP Vulimpompi Nhleko and Manzini North MP Macford Sibandze (Deputy Portfolio Committee Chairman).
The committee so far has visited Mkhiweni Sandleni and Nkwene (which was visited on Saturday).
According to the chairman, the next
to be engaged will be Zombodze Emuva.