gauteng leads in gay marriages

By Stanley Mabena (BTM Intern)

July13, 2007: Gay marriages in South Africa are increasing so fast that the Department of Home Affairs (dha) has already processed 707 same-sex marriages since 1 December 2006, when the Civil Union Bill was passed, until June 2007.

Gauteng is the leading province with 310 marriages, followed by the Western Cape with 156 and KwaZulu Natal, which saw about 92 marriages during this period.

The Eastern Cape saw only 45, Northern Cape 41 and Free State 21 while Mpumalanga celebrated a mere 13, Limpopo 5 and North West 4.

Speaking for the dha, Mantshele wa ga Tau said that lesbian couples are getting married the most as compared to gay couples.  

Tau added that these statistics prove that execution of the Civil Union Bill has been very successful.

He also pointed out that no complaints have been brought to the attention of the dha regarding the registration of same-sex marriages.

Sibusiso Mbatha and Thami Mazibuko got married under the Civil Union Act earlier this year and have confirmed that the marriage process had no complications.

They also said that the increasing number of gay marriages shows that gay people are now free to talk about their issues and becoming who they are by marrying each other.

�Gay people should come in numbers to get married because the constitution supports us and the Act [Civil Union Act] protects us�, Mazibuko said.

Asked to comment about this progress of gay marriages, Cheryl Dudley, African Christian Democratic Party�s (ACDP) Member of Parliament, said that the party always knew that there will be a time when same-sex marriages would be legalised because people have equal rights in the country.

She condemned same-sex unions saying they have effects on families and the country as a whole because homosexuals engage in 'immoral behavior' of anal sex.

�We know that people who practice anal sex are at a high risk of contracting HIV and Aids, so this will also have effects on health in the country�, she concluded.