Times Of Swaziland: COURT UPHOLDS POLYGAMIST’S 36 YEARS CIVIL RITES MARRIGE

COURT UPHOLDS POLYGAMIST’S 36 YEARS CIVIL RITES MARRIGE
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BY MBONGISENI NDZIMANDZE  on 08/05/2018 01:06:00


MBABANE – The court has found no merits in the application of a polygamist who
wanted his civil rites marriage of 36 years declared bigamous.
Hamilton Sipho Dlamini, who is a civil servant, was claiming that he married
Eunice Mbhamali, who was at that time pregnant, to save her from being expelled
from William Pitcher College.
He claimed that the marriage by civil rites was nothing but a farce as it was
meant to prevent Mbhamali’s expulsion from William Pitcher on account of
falling pregnant while at the college before she was married.
He told the court that Mbhamali informed him that the management of the college
told her that she should produce a marriage certificate as proof that she was
married or face expulsion from the learning institution on account of her
pregnancy.
Dlamini said they then decided to approach the District Commissioner’s office
to get a marriage certificate and pretend that they were married, so that she
could continue with her education at the college.
“Indeed on March 3, 1981, we approached the District Commissioner’s office
and purported to get married by civil rites for the sole purpose of obtaining a
marriage certificate. The civil rites marriage certificate was issued.
He emphasised that it was not his intention to marry Mbhamali through civil
rites, but their intention was that she would be his second wife in terms of and
in accordance with Swazi Law and Custom.
Mbhamali is now a teacher at St John Bosco Primary School in Malkerns and the
couple has been married for over 36 years.
Dlamini wanted the court to declare the marriage between him and Mbhamali to be
bigamous.