Marriage Arrangement Scandal Unveiled in Limpopo: How South African Women Were Paid R300 to Marry Pakistani Men
In a shocking revelation, it has come to light that women in Limpopo, South Africa, have been paid to marry Pakistani nationals.
These marriages are allegedly arranged by a woman named Priscilla, who has been accused of orchestrating unions between Pakistani shop owners and multiple women in her community.
Marriage Arrangement Scandal Unveiled in Limpopo
Several women have come forward to share their accounts and accuse Priscilla of involvement in arranging these fraudulent marriages.
Speaking to SABC News, one of the accusers, Rebone Shabir, claims that Priscilla approached her with an offer to marry a Pakistani shop owner in exchange for a monthly fee of R300.
Shabir recounted her experience, revealing that she agreed to the arrangement. Together with several shop owners, they traveled to the Johannesburg Home Affairs office to formalize the unions.
Shabir initially received payments totaling R600 over two months for her participation. However, her ordeal took an unexpected twist when she realized her ID book and her children’s birth certificates had gone missing, and she was unable to provide a marriage certificate that she knew nothing about.
Low Payments and Deceptive Tactics
Gloria Ratau, aged 49, shared her own account of being drawn into a similar arrangement.
She claimed that she received only R120 to become Mrs. Kazim, believing she was signing documents related to a job opportunity. To her surprise, she discovered that she was married to a foreign national named Muhammed when she visited Home Affairs to replace her ID book and her child’s birth certificate.
Priscilla’s Confession
After the stories of these women came to light, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) conducted an investigation and located Priscilla in the Avalon section of Middelburg, Mpumalanga.
When confronted, Priscilla did not deny the allegations but instead explained that her husband had approached her to find women for arranged marriages primarily for citizenship purposes. Priscilla maintained that all the women had willingly agreed to these arrangements.
Department of Home Affairs Investigation
The Department of Home Affairs has expressed concern over the matter and has announced its intention to conduct a thorough investigation into the marriages in question. Siya Qoza, a spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs, stated that their records concerning the marriages of the women involved suggest a need for further investigation.
