“Who Signs These Laws?”: Husband Ordered to Maintain Stepchildren After Pending Divorce, SA Divided

• A news segment reported on the case of a man who was ordered by the court to continue maintaining his stepchildren, applying the High Court's procedural Rule 43
• The clip shared on TikTok detailed the amounts the man had to pay, pending divorce, even while he had not legally adopted the children
• Viewers were divided, with many stressing the importance of the children's rights, while others felt that the man had played his part while still married to their mom

A High Court order based on Rule 43 ignited a storm online after details emerged that a man going through a divorce was instructed to pay for medical expenses and school fees for his stepchildren.

The clip was shared on TikTok by content creator @thisiscolbert_ on 16 March 2026, where it sparked a massive debate as the online community shared their divided views on the ruling.

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The Newsroom Afrika newsreader detailed that the man was ordered in the interim divorce proceedings to continue supporting his two stepchildren. Among the things he was ordered to pay was R40,000 for medical aid and medical expenses, R35,000 a month towards rent and R1,000,000 in legal costs. TikTok user @thisiscolbert_ captioned his post advising against taking the stepfather responsibility, noting that it might backfire.

Rule 43 explained

Rule 43 is a tool used in Mzansi to provide temporary support while a divorce is still being processed. It allows a spouse to quickly ask the court for immediate help with living costs, child maintenance, or custody arrangements before the divorce is final. This rule is designed to protect people who may be financially struggling or lack the funds to pay for their own legal fees during a long court case. Source: Family and Divorce Law in South Africa

Watch the rest of the TikTok video below:

SA debates the court ruling

The clip gained massive views, likes, and comments from social media users who shared mixed views. Many viewers supported the court's decision. They explained that taking responsibility to maintain dependents was a serious commitment that cannot just be avoided because of a breakup with a spouse. Some, however, felt the system had failed the man, considering that the subjects were not his biological children. Others explained that the ruling was just temporary and did not necessarily mean that the man would have to take care of the children for the rest of his life.

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User @lifeonmaxpro commented:

"In 2005, my stepdad was required to continue paying maintenance following my mother's passing."

User @Legend advised:

"Resign from work, my brother."

User @Just King Simon shared:

"This issue is largely misinterpreted. When you have an obligation to maintain dependents, you can't terminate that with immediate effect and cause inconveniences just because you are angry; there's a process to follow. Now the story is portrayed by social media as if it's permanent maintenance."

User @javinyo said:

"We don't have courts in SA. How can they make decisions for us like that? This is not fair."

User @user6196873037914 asked:

"Who signs these laws. Can he explain the reason?"

User @takamark@ 🇪🇺 🇿🇼 commented:

"The court was right. When you take an obligation to take care of someone, you can't cut it immediately."

3 Briefly News articles about breakups

• A woman shared a post asking her late mother to forgive her for divorcing after seven months, saying she had become a laughing stock for going back to her father's home.
• A broken-hearted woman warned others about her estranged husband of two months, detailing that he had cheated and abused her.
• A young makoti left her marriage three months after being married, after she and her husband had differences that she felt could not be resolved.

Source: Briefly News