Political parties have both welcomed and decried the court ruling approving same-sex marriages.
The most vociferous opposition came from the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), which expressed "extreme disappointment" at the ruling and called for a referendum with a view to changing the constitution.
"The ACDP, while appreciating the constitutional basis of the decision, calls for a referendum on the issue of same-sex marriages, which can guide parliament as to a possible Marriage Protection Amendment to the constitution," party spokesperson Steve Swart said.
His party would have preferred that the court refer the matter to parliament for consideration of various options as set out by the Law Reform Commission, as suggested by the judges who considered the case.
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| The court refer the matter to parliament for consideration |
"History, nature, social science, anthropology, religion, and theology all coalesce in vigorous support of marriage as it has always been understood: a lifelong union of male and female for the purpose of creating stable families," Swart said.
The African National Congress (ANC) welcomed the ruling but spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said the issue would be discussed "quite intensely" within the party.
United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said the decision was clearly in line with the constitution, adding: "South Africa took a decision to legislate for gays and lesbians to be free in this country, so it wouldn't make any sense not to allow them to finish what they started."
The Democratic Alliance would not take a stand as it was a moral issue, but spokesperson Tertius Delport was "surprised" by the ruling: "We expect different views and respect other views. But personally I think the idea of a male and a female forming the basis of a family is ingrained in the whole order of nature and even more so in the structures of our society. I for one was therefore surprised at the finding but this is something that we are not going to take up swords on." - Political Bureau.
- This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Times on December 01, 2004
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