hundreds protest against same-sex marriages

By Tsabeng Nthite (Pretoria News)

October 9, 2006: Hundreds of members of the Marriage Alliance of South Africa marched to the Union Buildings at the weekend, seeking an amendment to the Constitution that would maintain the definition of marriage as being a union between a man and a woman.

Stating that they did not judge others, the alliance said they were simply protecting what they stood for.

Alliance spokesperson Moss Ntlha said: "We insist that whatever status and benefits the State confers on same-sex marriages, these should not hijack or denigrate the institution of marriage. We insist that all other categories of domestic partnerships not be included in the accepted definition of marriage."

With reference to the pending adoption of the proposed Civil Unions Bill, the alliance said it believed that whatever arrangement the State made to recognise unions between same-sex couples, it should not be called marriage. This would be an aberration of the institution of marriage and be inconsistent with the view of marriage shared by most South Africans.

The Constitutional Court on December 1 2005 gave Parliament a year in which to adopt legislation enabling same-sex couples to enjoy the same status and benefits that marriage accords to heterosexual couples.

The group of protesters handed over a memorandum to a representative of government at the Union Buildings.