knowingly performs a marriage which he is legally prohibited, and a person who is not a marriage officer but purports to perform a marriage, can be fined up to R400 and imprisoned for up to one year. A marriage officer who violates other provisions of the Marriage Act can be fined up to R100. A person who makes a false statement for the purpose of marriage can be sentenced as if he or she had committed perjury. Amendments The Marriage Amendment Act, 1963 and the Marriage Amendment Act, 1968 were both technical amendments relating to the publication of banns of marriage or notices of intention to marry and the validity of special marriage licences. The Marriage Amendment Act, 1970 abolished the requirement that banns of marriage or notices of intention to marry be published or that a special marriage licence be obtained. It also extended the application of the Marriage Act to the territory of South-West Africa (now the independent country of Namibia). The Marriage Amendment Act, 1972 validated marriages contracted before the 1970 amendment came into force where banns or notice had not been correctly published or a special licence had not been correctly obtained. The Marriage Amendment Act, 1973 allowed religious marriage officers to follow their religion's marriage formula to solemnise the marriage instead of using the formula prescribed in the act. The Marriage Amendment Act, 1981 inserted a provision allowing the Minister of Home Affairs to validate marriage conducted by someone who was not a marriage officer when the spouses had a good faith belief that he or she was a marriage officer. The Marriage Act Extension Act, 1997 extended the act to apply in the territory of the former bantustans, superseding their former separate marriage laws. See also Marriage law Marriage in South Africa External links Text of the Marriage Act, 1961, as amended, at Wikisource Marriage, unions and partnerships in South Africa 1961 in South African law South African legislation South African family law Marriage law