South African assembly passes gay marriage law
Pastor Dale Morgan
South African assembly passes gay marriage law*
David Beresford
Tuesday November 14, 2006
Guardian Unlimited
South Africa's ANC government today took another step in ramming through
legislation facilitating same sex "marriages", as opposition politicians
warned of "God's wrath".
The legislation was passed by the national assembly as the ANC hurried
to meet an end-of-month deadline set by the constitutional court to get
rid of offending aspects of the marriage laws.
The largest opposition grouping, the Democratic Alliance, allowed its
MPs a free vote on the bill, but other parties opposed it. A number of
ANC members are believed to be opposed, but fears of a rebellion in its
ranks were not borne out.
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One of the strongest opponents of legislative reform in the area, the
leader of the African Christian Democratic party, Kenneth Meshoe, told
the house that "rejecting God's laws and despising His word will result
in those doing it being given over to the consequences of their sins and
to divine wrath. Members must also be reminded that God is not mocked."
He added: "For the sake of the peaceful future of this nation, members
of this parliament must stop provoking God to anger as the men of Sodom
and Gomorrah did, and came under His judgment."
South Africa's lawmakers have attempted to combat discrimination via a
compromise that allows two separate pieces of legislation to govern the
law on marriage.
The country is notably chauvinist and there is believed to be
overwhelming opposition to the extension of marriage rights to the gay
community, including among traditional, or tribal, leaders. But the
constitution protects gay people through its prohibition of
discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation.
The ANC has therefore allowed the Marriage Act to stand while
introducing the civil unions bill. Heterosexuals would be allowed to
marry under either piece of legislation, while gay couples would be able
to formalise their partnership only under the civil unions legislation.
Representatives of the gay community have objected that this, on its
own, amounts to discrimination. Because the South African parliament is
elected under the party list system the ANC does not allow free votes on
grounds of conscience. "How do you give someone permission to
discriminate in the name of the ANC?" indignantly demanded the
chairperson of the ANC's parliamentary caucus, Vytjie Mentor, at the
weekend.
The legislation still has to clear South Africa's second house, the
council of provinces, before being signed into law by the president.