News / Local
Injivas flock Marriage Court
07 Jan 2013 at 05:49hrs | Views
THE Marriage Court in Bulawayo was overwhelmed by the number of people tying the knot last month.
The development has been attributed to hundreds of Zimbabweans based outside the country, who were back home for the festive season.
The Marriage Court at Tredgold Building in Bulawayo witnessed 131 marriages between 7 December and 28 December last year.
On Friday there were more than 20 couples, who tied the knot.
A majority of the newlyweds were Zimbabweans based in South Africa popularly known as injiva while some are based in the United Kingdom and other overseas countries.
"I am here for the wedding of my daughter, Nokuthula Ndlovu who is based in South Africa and came home for the Christmas and New Year's Holidays. She married Nicholas," said a woman who identified herself as Mrs Ndlovu.
The Marriage Court sits on Tuesdays and Fridays while new registrations are made on Mondays and Wednesdays.
On average the Marriage Court handled about 39 marriages per week in December compared to an average of less than 10 marriages per week during the course of the year.
Inquires by this reporter at the Civil Court revealed that many people were still booking to get married.
Indications were that the court was already fully booked as more people sought to formalise their marriages.
"I have come to ask about the requirements for one to get married in court," said Mr John Evans who had visited the court on Thursday and was told that he could only book for Friday this week as the other days were fully booked.
Other marriages are conducted at the Western Commonage Courts.
The Registrar-General's Office in March last year unveiled a new marriage certificate with additional security features to curb bogus marriages.
The new marriage regulations are in response to increased cases of marriage for convenience whereby Zimbabweans were used by foreigners to abuse the country's marriage laws.
Foreigners, mostly those from Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, enter into marriages of convenience in order to be granted citizenship or obtain residence permits.
They pay the women they purport to be marrying for their service.
The development has been attributed to hundreds of Zimbabweans based outside the country, who were back home for the festive season.
The Marriage Court at Tredgold Building in Bulawayo witnessed 131 marriages between 7 December and 28 December last year.
On Friday there were more than 20 couples, who tied the knot.
A majority of the newlyweds were Zimbabweans based in South Africa popularly known as injiva while some are based in the United Kingdom and other overseas countries.
"I am here for the wedding of my daughter, Nokuthula Ndlovu who is based in South Africa and came home for the Christmas and New Year's Holidays. She married Nicholas," said a woman who identified herself as Mrs Ndlovu.
The Marriage Court sits on Tuesdays and Fridays while new registrations are made on Mondays and Wednesdays.
On average the Marriage Court handled about 39 marriages per week in December compared to an average of less than 10 marriages per week during the course of the year.
Inquires by this reporter at the Civil Court revealed that many people were still booking to get married.
Indications were that the court was already fully booked as more people sought to formalise their marriages.
"I have come to ask about the requirements for one to get married in court," said Mr John Evans who had visited the court on Thursday and was told that he could only book for Friday this week as the other days were fully booked.
Other marriages are conducted at the Western Commonage Courts.
The Registrar-General's Office in March last year unveiled a new marriage certificate with additional security features to curb bogus marriages.
The new marriage regulations are in response to increased cases of marriage for convenience whereby Zimbabweans were used by foreigners to abuse the country's marriage laws.
Foreigners, mostly those from Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, enter into marriages of convenience in order to be granted citizenship or obtain residence permits.
They pay the women they purport to be marrying for their service.
Source - TC
