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Gay couple in South Africa plan legal action
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South African gay couple are refused wedding because their relationship is ââ¬Ånot normalââ¬Â
"The pair claimed that they were laughed at by an official, who refused to marry them and questioned the ââ¬Ånormalityââ¬Â of their relationship"
A South African gay couple hoping to get married have had their hopes dashed by the Home Affairs office, who deemed their relationship as “not normal”.
The couple, Alexander Bruce and Jaco van der Walt initially visited the Home Affairs office for their first appointment on 17th December. However, when they went back to marry on 2nd January, the pair claimed that they were laughed at by an official, who refused to marry them and questioned the “normality” of their relationship.
The couple, who have been together for just over a year, told The Citizen newspaper that they then spoke to a senior member of the Home Affairs office, only to be told that same-sex marriages were not permitted at the Germiston Home Affairs office, despite this not being true.
Bruce said:
“The supervisor did not treat us with respect at all; he was quite rude to us.”
Van der Walt also expressed his disappointment at not being able to go through with the marriage, and the couple have decided to take legal action.
Germiston Home Affairs claimed that the marriage did not take place on 2nd January because there was no record of the couple’s appointment on 17th December.
Alexander Bruce and Jaco van der Walt now intend to marry at the Alberton Home Affairs office.
Same-sex marriage became legal in South Africa on 30th November 2006 when the Civil Unions Bill was enacted after having been passed by the South African Parliament on 11th November.
