Page 110 - The Circle of Life

for the whole country. The rest is by-laws and subject to the law of the country

(federal law).

We had cases where a young woman came under the evil (they are all evil)

influences of a sect and the parents worried sick about mass marriages taking
place. It is rather difficult for as long as she is of legal age and able to act for

herself there is nothing we can do legally. She can marry who she wants when
she wants as she wants. In these cases you may apply for the a court order to

have her examined by court appointed psychiatrists and if they find her
brainwashed (I hope) to such an extent that she cannot act on her own anymore

the law will place her back under the care of her father. As you can imagine this
is rather drastic and very difficult to prove. You will not believe what influence

the leader has over such people. They are truly dangerous.

Kidnapping her is a solution but an illegal one that I cannot recommend to you
on paper though it is sometimes the only solution. The problem with this what to

do with her afterwards and that should be part of your plan. Getting her out is
not so difficult. Keeping her and healing her is.

Customary Marriages

I don't want to dwell on this too much for all marriages falls under the Marriage
Act and dispensations as set out above. However, many different tribal law or

customary law exists in Africa and such marriage is recognised by the
Recognition of Customary Marriages Act in this country at least. Basically the

marriage is negotiated by the family and the couple must be 18 years and older.
No-one who entered a civil marriage before is able to have a customary

marriage also. Once married it must be registered as such with a witness from
both families at Home Affairs.

Nothing prevents the man from marrying again as much as he pleases. I think
our current president has four or five wives and good luck to him too. However

he would have needed a court order setting out the future matrimonial property

system of his marriages. This is to protect the wives and children but
traditionally they followed the first wife with the first male child in succession.

109