By Angela Quintal
An international human rights watchdog has added its voice to protests that the Civil Union Bill will entrench inequality, rather than simply recognise same-sex marriages.
Meanwhile, the National House of Traditional Leaders has formally informed parliament that it believes same-sex marriages have no place in South African law and that a constitutional amendment is necessary to protect the institution of marriage between a man and a woman.
The bill is still being processed by the national assembly's home affairs committee, which held countrywide public hearings and is now sifting through hundreds of submissions.
'Civil partnership' On Wednesday last week, Human Rights Watch (HRW) wrote to national assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete urging MPs to end discrimination in marriage rights, saying the bill only recognised civil partnerships, and not full marriage rights, for gays and lesbians.
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In its letter, HRW said that rather than extending the status of marriage to lesbian and gay couples, the bill would create a "civil partnership" which would confirm and codify inequality for lesbian and gay people by denying their relationship equal status to that of heterosexual couples.
However, Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said last week the bill specifically allowed same-sex couples to decide whether to refer to their union as a civil partnership or a marriage.
Civil partnerships could be solemnised by marriage officers designated by the minister of home affairs, while ministers of religion could request to be authorised by the minister to solemnise civil partnerships as marriages.
Parliament is under pressure to adopt legislation recognising same-sex marriages by December 1, in line with a Constitutional Court ruling.
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This article was originally published on page 4 of Cape Times on October 23, 2006
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