Oh dear, not a good way to encourage votes and/or money from "pink" voters! It never fails to amuse that the word "Democracy" means so many different things to so many different people. The case in question obvioulsy means that there should be democracy for the Traditional Leaders and with that goes the right for men to have several wives (but not the other way around you understand), but obviously the Traditional Leaders don't feel that gays and lesbians should even have one legitimized spouse!
Smacks of "do as I tell you and don't do as I do" to me!
Thankfully, the bill was in fact passed and gays and lesbians now have the right to wallow in wedded bliss, should they so desire.
Regards
Nikki
October 27 2006 at 08:09AM
By Angela Quintal
The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) has incurred the wrath of gay and lesbian activists, who on Thursday accused it of pretending homosexuality did not exist in African culture. This after the organisation - which is led by ANC MPs Patekile Holomisa and Mwelo Nkonyane - argued against the Civil Union Bill and the recognition of same-sex marriage as "unAfrican". The ANC is divided on the issue of same-sex marriage, although the bill is being piloted by the government in line with a Constitutional Court judgment.
In a submission to parliament earlier this week, Contralesa also called for a constitutional amendment to ensure such unions were not recognised in South African law. Nonhlanhla Mkhize of the Durban Gay and Lesbian Community and Health Centre said Contralesa had chosen to pretend that homosexuality did not exist in African culture and in doing so whitewashed the lived reality of African lesbian and gay people.
There is ample research illustrating African people have engaged in same-sex relationships throughout our history. "For example, in Namibia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, bond friendships, ancestral wives, female husbands and male wives have existed for centuries as forms of same-sex relationships. All these relationships were accepted and respected in Africa before colonialism and apartheid. "In a submission to parliament, Contralesa argued that same-sex marriage was the unintended consequence of South Africa's Eurocentric and liberal constitution.
However, a national network of 17 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organisations, hit back on Thursday, saying the Contralesa submission was an affront. "Contralesa's attack on the constitution, the building blocks of a free and democratic society, illustrates a mindset amongst traditional leaders that is stuck in a patriarchal and homophobic past. "Contralesa claimed that gay and lesbian people should be treated with dignity, yet it referred to such people as "oddities" and a "problem" that needs "remedy", the statement said. It said the proposal to amend the constitution took the country a step backward. "True leaders lead with intellect and wisdom and not with ignorance and suppression. We need Contralesa to realise that as traditional leaders, they need to ensure that the influence of African traditional values is experienced through peaceful development in the modern South Africa," it said. Meanwhile, cabinet spokesperson Themba Maseko said the executive was monitoring the parliamentary passage of the bill "quite closely".
The Constitutional Court ruled in 2005 that a law recognising same-sex marriage should be on the statute books by December 1, or else the Marriage Act would automatically be read to provide for such unions.
This article was originally published on page 5 of Cape Times on October 27, 2006
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