Final seal of approval for South Africa gay marriage bill
Pastor Dale Morgan
Thursday November 30, 7:04 PM
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Final seal of approval for South Africa gay marriage bill*
South Africa has become the first country on the continent to authorise
marriage for gay and lesbian couples when the controversial civil union
bill received the final seal of approval.
The legislation, which was overwhelmingly approved by parliament, was
signed onto the statute book Thursday by Vice President Phumzile
Mlambo-Ngcuka in her capacity as acting head of state while Thabo Mbeki
attends a conference in Nigeria.
"Acting President Phumzile Mlamblo-Ngcuka has signed into law the Civil
Union Act, 2006," the president's office said in a statement.
"The act will come into operation on 30 November 2006," it added.
The law, which allows for civil unions to be solemnised by way of either
a marriage or a civil partnership, had been widely opposed by religious
groups, conservatives and traditionalists.
But news that the bill had finally become law was greeted
enthusiastically by the gay and lesbian pressure group.
"The use of the word 'marriage' in the act is very important for us,"
said Fikile Vilakazi spokeswoman for the Joint Working Group, a network
of 17 lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender organisations.
"We are very happy. We welcome the political commitment shown by the
country's leaders.
"It is an historic decision in terms of the African continent."
The government has defended the new legislation for representing a wider
commitment to battle discrimination.
"In breaking with our past ... we need to fight and resist all forms of
discrimination and prejudice, including homophobia," Home Affairs
Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told MPs earlier this month, when the
bill was passed by the National Assembly.
The government was forced to legislate on same sex marriage after the
country's highest court ruled in December that existing laws denied gays
and lesbians the same constitutional rights as heterosexual couples.
After the end of the apartheid era in 1994, during which black South
Africans were denied the vote, a new constitution was drawn up
specifically banning discrimination on the grounds of race, gender and
sexual orientation.
Last year's court ruling effectively set a December 1 deadline for the
government to enact the new legislation.
"The act is in line with the constitutional court judgment ... which
found that the common law definition of marriage in the Marriage Act,
1961, is inconsistent with the constitution of the Republic of South
Africa," said the presidential office statement.
The clear passage of the bill was guaranteed after the ruling African
National Congress imposed a three-line whip on its members of parliament
to support the legislation.
Conservative opposition parties have however railed against the bill.
Kenneth Meshoe, leader the African Christian Democratic Party, said that
the enactment of the legislation ran against the wishes of the people.
"We are obviously very disappointed. What has happened has proved that
the wishes of the majority of South Africans are not taken seriously by
the majority party," he told AFP.
Homosexuality "is against God's order for mankind, against God's plan
for marriage and families."
"God intended Adam to be married to Eve and not to Steve."