Constitutional Court has thrown down the gauntlet to patriarchy

THE Constitutional Court has made a groundbreaking ruling on the South African Marriage Act and has dealt a blow to the age-old patriarchal naming tradition.

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It has ruled that a man can adopt his wife’s surname upon marriage, ending the tradition of a woman renouncing her maiden surname and taking on her husband's name.

It was the same Constitutional Court that granted recognition to customary marriages, giving them the same legal status as civil unions. Now it strikes a blow at customs and traditions.