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Marriage in South Africa exists in a number of different forms, as a result of the diversity of religions and cultures in the country. Historically the legal definition of marriage, derived from the Roman-Dutch law, was limited to monogamous marriages between opposite-sex couples. Since 1998 the law has recognised marriages, including polygynous marriages, conducted under African customary law, and in 2006 South Africa became the fifth country in the world to allow same-sex marriage. According to the 2011 census, 36.7% of South Africans aged 20 or older were married. During the year 2011 a total of 173,215 new marriages were recorded. ==Marrying== There are three different laws under which a marriage may be formed in South Africa: * The Marriage Act, 1961,〔Marriage Act, No. 25 of 1961, as amended〕 which allows for the solemnisation of a civil or religious marriage between a man and a woman. * The Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, 1998,〔Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, No. 120 of 1998, as amended〕 which allows for the registration of marriages under African customary law. Some communities' customary law allows for polygynous marriages, and these are recognised subject to certain conditions. * The Civil Union Act, 2006,〔Civil Union Act, 2006〕 which allows for the solemnisation of a civil or religious marriage or a civil partnership between two people regardless of gender. The legal consequences of a marriage under the Civil Union Act are the same as those of a marriage under the Marriage Act. A person may only be married under one of these laws at a time, except that a couple in a monogamous customary marriage can contract a marriage with each other under the Marriage Act. Marriages under the Marriage Act and the Civil Union Act must be solemnized by a marriage officer and in the presence of two witnesses. Magistrates are ''ex officio'' marriage officers, and civil servants (in practise usually officials of the Department of Home Affairs) are appointed as marriage officers by the Minister of Home Affairs. The Minister may also appoint ministers of religion as marriage officers; they cannot solemnize marriages under the Civil Union Act unless their denomination has applied to the Minister to be registered to do so. The spouses must be over 18 to form a valid marriage, except that a girl over 15 may marry under the Marriage Act with the consent of her parents. A person may not marry his or her direct ancestor or descendant, sibling, uncle or aunt, niece or nephew, or the ancestor or descendant of an ex-spouse. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Marriage in South Africa」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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