18 Informalities in publication of banns or notice of intention to marry or in issue of marriage licence Where in the case of any marriage solemnized after the 1st March, 1965, the provisions of this Act relating to the publication of banns or notice of intention to marry or to the issue of a marriage licence, or the applicable provisions of any law of a country outside Zimbabwe relating to the publication of banns or notice of intention to marry, have not been strictly complied with by reason of an error, omission or ove rsight on the part of any person respons-ible for such publication or such issue, that marriage shall, if there was no other lawful impediment thereto, be as valid as it would have been if those provisions had been strictly complied with. 19 Objections to marriage (1) Any person desiring to raise any objection to any proposed marriage shall lodge such objection in writing with— (a) the person who makes publication of the relevant banns of marriage or notice of intention to marry: Provided that, in the case of banns published in terms of paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section eleven, any person desiring to raise any objection may do so orally, and such objector shall, if so required by the person making the publication, confirm such objection in writing; or (b) the magistrate who issues a marriage licence in respect of such proposed marriage; or (c) the marriage officer who is to solemnize such marriage. (2) If any such objection is brought to the notice of— (a) the marriage officer who— (i) is required to issue a certificate in terms of section twelve or fifteen; or (ii) is to solemnize the marriage; or (b) the magistrate who has issued a marriage licence in terms of section sixteen; such marriage officer or magistrate, as the case may be, shall inquire into the ground of objection and, if satisfied that there is no lawful impediment to the proposed marriage, such marriage officer may issue the relevant certificate or solemnize the marriage, as the case may be, and such magistrate need take no further action. (3) If such marriage officer or magistrate is not satisfied in terms of subsection (2), he shall refuse to issue the relevant certificate or solemnize the marriage, as the case may be, and such magistrate shall take steps to cancel the marriage licence. 20 Marriage of minors (1) For the purposes of this section and section twenty-one— “legal guardian” includes the mother of a minor where she and the father of such minor— (a) are living together lawfully as husband and wife; or (b) are divorced or are living apart and the sole guardianship of such minor has not been granted to either of them by order of the High Court or a judge thereof. (2) The marriage of a minor shall not be solemnized without the consent in writing of the persons who are, at the time of the proposed marriage, the legal guardians of such minor or, where a minor has only one legal guardian, without the consent in writing of such legal guardian: Provided that— (i) if the consent of any legal guardian cannot be obtained by reason of absence or inaccessibility or by reason of his being under any disability, a judge of the High Court may grant consent to the marriage, and the consent of the judge so given shall have the same effect as if it had been given by the legal guardian whose consent cannot be obtained; (ii) if any legal guardian refuses his consent, a judge of the High Court may grant consent to the marriage, and the consent of the judge so given shall have the same effect as if it had been given by the legal guardian whose consent is refused. (3) Where the marriage of a minor is intended to be solemnized after the publication of banns or after the publication of a notice of intention to marry, then, if any legal guardian whose consent to the marriage is required under this section forbids the marriage and gives notice thereof to the marriage officer before he solemnizes the same, the publication of banns or of any notice of intention to marry shall be void unless the consent of a judge of the High Court to the marriage is granted. (4) This section shall not apply to a person who is under the age of eighteen years and who previously co ntracted a valid marriage which has been dissolved by death or divorce. 21 Marriage of minors without consent voidable but not void (1) Where a marriage of a minor which requires the consent of his legal guardian or legal guardians or the consent of a judge under section twenty is contracted without such consent, the marriage shall not by reason of that fact be void, but may be set aside and declared to be void by the High Court in its discretion if his legal guardian or legal guardians, whose consent was required but not obtained, makes application therefor within a period of six weeks, calculated from the date on which he or they first had notice of such marriage, or within such further period as the court may allow: