A new law was passed in Zimbabwe on May 27, 2022. This law controls all marriages in the country. The law says there are three main kinds of marriages.
One type is called a civil marriage. It's between one man and one woman. The man and woman can't be married to anyone else at the same time. Another type is called a customary law marriage. A man might have more than one wife in this kind of marriage.
The third type is an unregistered customary law union. This is a marriage that follows traditional customs but isn't officially recorded. The new law says civil marriages and customary law marriages are equal if they're registered. A person can't be in both types of marriage at once.
In some cases, people in a registered customary law marriage can change it to a civil marriage. If people get married traditionally, they have to register it within three months. But the marriage is still valid even if they don't. This is important for deciding things like who takes care of the children.
One type is called a civil marriage. It's between one man and one woman. The man and woman can't be married to anyone else at the same time. Another type is called a customary law marriage. A man might have more than one wife in this kind of marriage.
The third type is an unregistered customary law union. This is a marriage that follows traditional customs but isn't officially recorded. The new law says civil marriages and customary law marriages are equal if they're registered. A person can't be in both types of marriage at once.
In some cases, people in a registered customary law marriage can change it to a civil marriage. If people get married traditionally, they have to register it within three months. But the marriage is still valid even if they don't. This is important for deciding things like who takes care of the children.
