Black Coffee Divorce Sparks Debate: Culture, Courts and Women’s Rights Collide

What's trending online

The decision of DJ Black Coffee to appeal against a court ruling about his contested customary marriage to Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa sparked mixed reactions on X:

@GodPenuel I’m glad that Black Coffee is appealing the ruling of his divorce from Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa. Part of the nonsense is this mixing of cultural practices and Western laws. On top of that, cultural leaders are useless and seemingly have no power over cultural prescription. Black South Africans need to wake-up and draw a line between culture and legality. If you’re marrying culturally, keep it purely cultural, with zero intervention of Roman-Dutch courts. Highest authority should be chiefs & kings only.

@MncubeJr In the event that one does choose to stick primarily to “custom” , how will that marriage be moderated, in the event of a dispute or separation who’s going to ensure the woman does not get the short end of the stick? We can’t shy away from the fact that in essence customs are patriarchal and seek only to validate men as significant figures?

@ILLICTICA I think the post stresses the importance of both parties recognising the basis of their union, whether it is grounded in cultural or Roman. Applying both can be confusing, as it may lead to situations like the Black Coffee case.

@lifelikedrone The courts. Even customary marriages have had the patriarchal elements removed by the courts now. In fact, marriages are in favour of wives in the event of a divorce now, even if she’s never worked a day in her life.

@sphamindlos You cant protect a woman from patriarchy at an expense of a man. Your intentions are irrelevent if in that process you create new prejudice.

@ConqueredGift The beauty of culture is that it is not as complicated as people think. A dowry (lobola) is paid to marry to have a companion as a man who will help you to grow and build you. If the woman decides to leave she leaves alone, without the kids even.

@EmmanuelTshepoP That concern is valid. Any system, cultural or legal, that fails to protect the vulnerable has missed God’s heart for justice. Scripture is clear: God defends the oppressed and calls leaders to uphold fairness, not power (Psalm 82:3-4).

@lulaland22 I agree with you on this. The law is the law it should not be emotional or it sets a precedent that causes chaos going forward.

@Bra_Lopz I feel we, as Blacks, have long mixed culture with Western laws and there’s nothing we can do about it.

@SirNomg Black Coffee is being ill advised here and he’s going to lose with costs.

@LeratoThena Tricky to choose one way or the other, because one may want to respect tradition and culture on the one hand, but also ensure protection of their assets. Both can be done, but you first have to understand the proper way of doing it.

@MundaneMLG Anything that benefits a woman (whether cultural or legal) will always be there because they’ll claim it’s their human right. It’s only going to get worse because law schools are dominated by women so they’ll eventually dominate the courts.

DAILY NEWS