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A court in South Africa has ruled that a man can now take his wife's surname or have a double-barrelled name after marriage. Prior to this ruling, the country's Births and Deaths Registration Act had stipulated that a husband needed to apply to the Home Affairs department in order to take his wife's surname or to hyphenate it. However, even if a man submitted an application, there was no guarantee that it would be granted. The request was denied in many cases. The new decree stipulates that the law prohibiting a man from adopting his spouse's family name was discriminatory on the basis of gender. It says a man has the right to assume the last name of a woman he marries.
The court's pronouncement has been met with mixed reaction on social media. Many people lauded the decision as being forward-thinking and a sign that the country was providing greater equality. They highlighted the fact that the previous law was passed in the colonial, apartheid era and was overly paternalistic. They also say the law continues South Africa's progressiveness. The country was the first in Africa to legalize same-sex marriage. However, others have criticized the new ruling. They view it as being counter to the country's traditions. One user on X said it would "destroy the norms and values" of indigenous citizens.
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