Red tape is causing distress for a Dundee couple whose marriage last year has been declared illegal by the Department of Home Affairs.
Andre Beyers and Sarah van der Westhuizen decided to tie the knot on September 29 in a simple ceremony.
While they have the marriage certificate, according to Home Affairs Andre is still married to his first wife, Myrtle, who passed away in 2012.
“A death certificate was issued on the same day that she died and Myrtle’s I.D. book is stamped ‘deceased’. But the Home Affairs system shows that we are still married.”
Andre says he and Myrtle were married in Dundee in 1964. After her death, he met up again with Sarah whose husband had also passed on some years before.
“We were so happy to be together for company but this state of affairs is causing us stress. Rev Amos Nkosi of St James Church has also been with us at the Home Affairs office but no one seems able to sort it out.
“We were referred to Pretoria and although I spoke to a lady and was given a reference number, the status quo remains.” In desperation, Andre reported the matter to the Courier, who in turn, has sent details of their plight to Home Affairs head office.