We would like to invite you to make submissions to the government about the green paper.
SA Government is thinking of legalizing polyamory
Here’s what we’re doing. If you’d like to help, that would be great! The SA Government has proposed legalizing polygamy for all.
On the Department of Home Affairs’ website is a green paper detailing the proposal.
The department has met with lots of roleplayers already. Traditional authorities, Muslim and Jewish and Hindu religious leaders, Khoisan community leaders and the LGBTQIA+ community. They have left the non-traditional polyamory community out of it. Here are the basics of the green paper.
- Marriage will be for 18+. No more under-age marriages, even with parental permission.
- Marriage will be for straights and gays. Currently any same-sex partnership is a civil partnership, not an actual marriage.
- Nobody will be able to deny anybody legal to get married. Right now, clerics can refuse to marry people because their religion is against it for some reason. And even department officials are allowed to refuse to marry people on grounds of “conscience.”
- Right now, men can get married under traditional law to more than one woman. That right will be extended to people who don’t fall under traditional law.
- Women will have the same rights as men, FINALLY, to take more than one husband, if that’s what they want.
The basic idea is that anybody over the age of 18 will be legally permitted to get married to any number of people over the age of 18, irrespective of sex or gender.
We have approached an advocate who will help us make submissions to the Department. He will include legal precedent from SA Case Law and potentially other jurisdictions.
What you can do
1. What is your position on this idea? Is this what you think should be the law of the land?
2. What are your personal thoughts on this? Please send us your comments below or directly to admin@polyamory.org.za