Zimbabwe changed its marriage laws in May 2022. The country passed a new Marriages Act that covers all types of marriages. According to these laws, people in Zimbabwe can marry in three different ways.
The first way couples can marry is through a civil marriage. This type lets one man and one woman marry each other only. Neither person can marry anyone else unless they end this marriage first. The second type, customary law marriage, follows traditional practices. These marriages allow a husband to have more than one wife, depending on their cultural customs.
The third type happens when people marry according to custom but never make it official with the government. The law calls this an unregistered customary law union. Both civil marriages and registered customary marriages have the same legal status. Nobody can have both types at the same time—you must choose one system or the other.
Couples in a registered customary marriage where the husband has just one wife can change their marriage to a civil marriage if they want. The law says couples who marry by custom should register within three months. Even if they forget to register, their children still have the same rights. These rights include inheritance, custody, and legal status.
The first way couples can marry is through a civil marriage. This type lets one man and one woman marry each other only. Neither person can marry anyone else unless they end this marriage first. The second type, customary law marriage, follows traditional practices. These marriages allow a husband to have more than one wife, depending on their cultural customs.
The third type happens when people marry according to custom but never make it official with the government. The law calls this an unregistered customary law union. Both civil marriages and registered customary marriages have the same legal status. Nobody can have both types at the same time—you must choose one system or the other.
Couples in a registered customary marriage where the husband has just one wife can change their marriage to a civil marriage if they want. The law says couples who marry by custom should register within three months. Even if they forget to register, their children still have the same rights. These rights include inheritance, custody, and legal status.
