A proposal by the South African government to legalize polyandry—when a woman has more than one husband at the same time—has led to howls of protest from conservative quarters, BBC reported.

This does not surprise Professor Collis Machoko, a renowned academic on the topic. The objections are "about control," he told the BBC. "African societies are not ready for true equality. We don't know what to do with women we cannot control."

Businessman and TV personality Musa Mseleku—who has four wives—is among those opposed to polyandry. "This will destroy African culture. What about the children of those people? How will they know their identity?" asks Mseleku, who stars in a South African reality TV show about his polygamous family.

"The woman cannot now take the role of the man. It's unheard of. Will the woman now pay lobola [bride price] for the man. Will the man be expected to take her surname?" Also, Mseleku urged South Africans not to take the principle of equality "too far."

South Africa has one of the world's most liberal constitutions, embracing same-sex marriages for all and polygamy for men.

Prof. Machoko said polyandry was once practiced in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria, and it is still practiced in Gabon, where the law allows it.