[1] ““Customary law” or “customary marriage” is defined in the Act as
the “customs and usages traditionally observed among the indigenous African peoples of South Africa and which form part of the culture of those peoples” and a “customary marriage” is a marriage “concluded in accordance with customary law” (s1). The Act was important symbolically and in many other ways but may, nonetheless, have less statistical effect than could be expected.”(Debbie Budlender, 2002)
These customary marriages may be seen as legit in the eyes of the law and even in the eyes of these respective communities and families, however some church denominations are even stricter by not even considering a marriage which is conducted in a church as a valid Christian union; for the use of a “man of God” (an ordained pastor, man of the cloth), should be the one to join Christians and the church being the house of God is the most appropriate place.
