Parliamentarians across the political divide have thrown their weight behind a draft bill proposing civil servants who are marriage officers be forced to solemnise same-sex marriages regardless of their religious beliefs.
The bill was introduced to Parliament by the Congress of the People (Cope) to repeal a section of the Civil Union Act that provides for a marriage officer to be exempted from solemnising same-sex marriages on the grounds of conscience, religion and belief.
Cope said the exemption in the Civil Union Act is in conflict with the Marriage Act, which provides for marriage officers employed by the state to solemnise all marriages.
Wednesday Cope MP Deidre Carter made a presentation to Home Affairs’ portfolio committee.
Carter said she introduced the bill after she received complaints from same-sex couples who were turned away from Home Affairs offices when wanting to marry.
One couple was called derogoratory names by officials at oThongathi in KwaZulu-Natal.
Currently out of 1130 officers, 421 were exempted from solemnising same-sex marriages.
All parties congratulated Carter for introducing the bill.
The DA’s Haniff Hoosen said if the Civil Union Act violated the Constitution, the committee should proceed with speed to bring the legislation in line with the supreme law of the country.
Donald Gumede said his party, the ANC, was on the side of the constitution.
“We have no option but to agree,” he said.
Committee chairperson Hlomane Chauke said parliament would engage with other stakeholders on the bill and also deal with technicalities around taking the repeal of the legislation forward.