Predominantly-Christian South Africa is ready to legalise same-sex unions, becoming the first country in the continent to formally accept the liberal definition of marriage.

|PIC1|On Thursday, the Constitutional Court – the highest court of South Africa – ruled that it is unconstitutional to prevent gay people from marrying, according to the Associated Press (AP).

"The common law definition of marriage is declared to be inconsistent with the constitution and invalid to the extent that it does not permit same-sex couples to enjoy the status and benefits it accords heterosexual couples," said Judge Albie Sachs in delivering Thursday's ruling, according to AP. The common law definition of marriage refers to a union between a man and a woman.

Such ruling also affirms the decision of the Supreme Court of Appeal last November to allow a lesbian couple Marie Fourie and Cecilia Bonthuys to wed, saying that the common law discriminates against homosexuals.

The Constitutional Court will give Parliament a year to extend the definitions of marriage which only holds that it is between a husband and wife. It demands the word "spouse" to be used in the law to include same-sex partners, according to Reuters.

|TOP|In case no action is taken by the Parliament, the legal definition of marriage will be automatically changed to authorise same-sex unions, AP’s report added.

Christian groups expressed deep concern to the latest move by the court. South Africa's biggest Christian party – the African Christian Democratic Party – sternly objected the decision. It warned of the disintegration and deterioration that may be resulted when "a society strays from the sexual ethic of marriage," as previous civilisations has showed, according to Reuters.

In addition, Steven Swart, spokesman for the African Christian Democratic Party declared that "we as Christian Democrats believe we should treat all people with compassion, but there are certain guidelines that we stand by: Marriage is a union between a man and woman."

|AD|South Africa has a very strong traditional and conservative population, noted Swart. In fact, Africa is a comparatively conservative continent in terms of its viewpoint in human sexuality. In many nations in Africa, homosexuality is outlawed. Especially in South Africa, where 80 percent of its population follows the Christian faith, the outcry against homosexual marriage has been led by the church leaders.

Primate of the Anglican Church of the Province of Southern Africa Njonggonkulu Ndungane is an outspoken figure against homosexuality in the debate between the Anglican Church in the western world and its Global South counterparts. He is also the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town.

"The church valued diversity as expressed in the court ruling but would not change its stance against gay marriage," Ndungane said in a statement after the Constitutional Court’s ruling, according to Reuters.

"We have repeatedly affirmed that we do not regard partnership between two persons of the same sex as a marriage in the eyes of God."

Church groups in South Africa have suggested that the issue should be put to a referendum.







Eunice Or
Christian Today Correspondent