more same-sex marriages expected this year

By Nthateng Mhlambiso (BTM Senior Reporter)

January 17, 2007: The Home Affairs Department has processed 84 same-sex marriages since 1 December last year, Mantshele Tau, the department’s spokesperson said.

This was uttered following concerns by the gay community about whether the home affairs computers had been reconfigured to accommodate the implementation of the Civil Union Act’s procedures.

Tau said that the home affairs department had everything ready by the deadline, and that more and more same-sex marriages are expected to take place during 2007. “Everything was ready by 1 December and we are expecting more and more same-sex marriages in February since it is said to be a romantic month.”

Previously the home affairs computer systems were programmed to capture the registration of marriages according to gender which raised a concern among the gay community about whether the department could update their systems pertinent to gay marriages by the said date.

Asked if they experienced any bureaucratic problems, Siphiwe Msane* – who got married to his same-sex partner Sanele Khaya* a day after the Civil Union Act came to effect, said that even though they are yet to get their marriage certificate, the process of legalizing their same-sex marriage was easy.

“All I did was to take the registration form that the marriage officer gave me to the department of Home Affairs. I was told to come back the following day as the name of the marriage officer did not show in their system. The second day when I went there, they had found the name and our marriage was processed without hassles.” Msane said.

*Not their real names