Transforming litigation in customary marriage disputes: Ubuntu and the responsibility of legal practitioners

Abstract

This contribution recognises different areas of Himonga’s scholarship, particularly her work on the recognition of customary marriages, ubuntu and dispute resolution. In bringing this work together, I suggest that her research on ubuntu – translated into the context of litigation – might provide insights on customary marriage recognition in ways that have not yet been properly explored. This insight is that the way in which legal practitioners have displayed ubuntu (or not) in litigating customary marriage disputes materially affects the ability of the courts to recognise living customary law. Having considered case law, the contribution suggests then that ubuntu should be used, not only as an interpretative tool, but also as a legal principle in guiding the procedure in which disputes are settled. isiXhosa: Eli galelo liqonda imimandla eyahlukeneyo kwinkxasomali yokufunda kaHimonga, ingakumbi umsebenzi wakhe ekuqondweni kwemitshato yesintu, ubuntu kunye nokusonjululwa kweembambano. Ukuhlanganisa lo msebenzi, ndicebisa ukuba uphando lwakhe ku-ubuntu – oluguqulelwe ngomxholo womangalelwano – lungabonakalisa imibono ekuqondweni komtshato wesintu ngeendlela ezingekaphicothwa ngokwaneleyo. Lo mbono kukuba indlela amagosa ezomthetho abonakalisa ngayo ubuntu (okanye akunjalo) ekufakeni isimangalo ngeembambano zomtshato wesintu ngokubonakalayo kuchaphazela isakhono seenkundla ekuqondeni umthetho wesintu okhoyo ekuphileni. Xa kuthathelwa ingqalelo umthetho osekelwe kwimithetho yangaphambili, ngokuphathelele kwigalelo kucetyiswa ukuba kusetyenziswe ubuntu, hayi nje kuphela njengesixhobo sokutolika, kodwa kwakhona njengomgaqo ekukhokeleni inkqubo ekusonjululwa ngayo iimbambano.