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Cape Town - marriages performed
by witches as well as Mormon weddings should be recognised by
law, the SA Law Commision said in a report to Minister of
Justice Penuell Madune during parliamentary hearings yesterday.
The commission said the Marriage
Act of 1961 was restrictive because marriage officers could be
designated only for the purpose of conducting marriages
according to "Christian, Jewish or Mohammedan rites or the
rites of any Indian religion".
The report recommended that
"provision should be made that any religious organisation
or denomination may apply to the minister of home affairs for
recognition, and that they may nominate persons for designation
by the minister as marriage officers".
Such religious bodies would have
to be sufficiently established, "both in respect of
continuity of existence and recognised rites and usages, to
warrant the designation of its religious representatives as
marriage officers".
Reverend Donna Darkwolf, the
arch priestess of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church, said the move
was "fantastic" and that the proposals for the
designating of marriage officers were positive.
Darkwolf, who is also president
of the Pagan Federation of South Africa, was present at the
briefing yesterday. She has previously made representations to
the Law Commission on the act.
Darkwolf describes herself as a
witch who follows a nature-based religion. Her religion had
nothing to do with Satanism because Satan was a "deity who
goes back only 2000 years. He is a Christian problem, not
ours", she said.
The report recommended that the
minister of home affairs should be empowered to designate
countries whose consular or diplomatic officers may conduct
marriages in South Africa.
Neither of the parties in such
marriages may be South African citizens.
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