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Home affairs committee adopts Civil Union Amendment Bill

Source: Samigration, 28/11/2018

`The committee is of the view that this amendment is a strong
affirmation to the right of equality before the law and further
prevents any discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation,`
parliamentary communication service`s Hlomani Chauke said in a
statement on Wednesday.
The purpose behind the amendment was to repeal section 6 of the Civil
Union Act, which allowed a marriage officer to inform the minister
that `he or she objects on the ground of conscience, religion, and
belief to solemnising a civil union between persons of the same sex`.
`This infringed the right to equality before the law and the right
not to be discriminated against by the state on grounds of sexual
orientation,` Chauke explained.
The bill proposes a transitional period of 24 months for the
Department of Home Affairs to enable officers an opportunity to be
trained if it is passed.
`The amendment further requires that during the transitional period;
the minister of home affairs must ensure that there is a marriage
officer, other than a marriage officer who had been granted exemption
through the principal act (the Civil Union Act), available to
solemnise a civil union at every Department of Home Affairs office,`
Chauke said.

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