Comments on: HOME AFFAIRS APOLOGISES TO GAY COUPLE

By: Nadia

Nadia — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 16:28:25 +0000

In reply to michelle.

Hi Michelle,
My partner and I have been trying to get married in Grahamstown since September last year.
First the immigration officer reluctantly gave us a interview date we had to wait over a month for only to be told after the interview we have to wait for a surprise home visit? Needless to say that never happened the interview was never put into the system and the Grahamstown immigration officer is on maternity leave. Since then we have been trying to get through to Port Elizabeth Home Affairs. After several trips to PE we finally had a interview with the Immigration officer there the end of December.
But the struggle is not yet over. Do you have any advise as to who can marry us instead of home affairs.
Thank you

By: Gay-Lee Forward

Gay-Lee Forward — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

While an apology has been forthcoming, if Home Affairs had done their job correctly in the first place, and had taken into considerations every citizen’s needs, none of this would have been necessary. I’m sick and tired of apologies and if it wasn’t for the DA Councillor and Shadow Minister chasing the matter up, nothing would have been done. Why do we have to live like this? Why do we have to keep complaining before we get the service we are entitled to and structures are set in place to provide? It’s disgusting. The fact that no provision or “plan” was made to cater to same-sex marriages but will now, after the event, simply highlights sheer incompetence

By: Annette Lovemore

Annette Lovemore — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I have submitted the following question for written reply by the Minister of Home Affairs :
1) With reference to civil unions involving same-sex couples, whether all Home Affairs offices equipped to conduct marriages or unions have access, at all times, to marriage officers who will conduct same-sex unions.
2) If not, (a) why not, and (b) what will be done to rectify the situation.
3) Whether marriage officers utilized by Home Affairs are contracted to do so, or whether they are in the full-time employ of the Department.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Just the response tells it all.if a staff member or all members of a home affairs office refuse to marry a gay couple the staff are required to contact the provincial office so that they can send someone out to perform the marriage that tells a person that our home affairs office staff have the right to refuse to marry a gay couple, come on just by the staff refusing them is discrimination in its self or did I misunderstand the courts and the president of south africa the day they announced that south africa would now legalize gay marriages and rights which means no and I strongly repeat no home affairs office or its staff have the right to refuse any gay marriage as that once again I strongly point out is discrimination which then makes home affairs liable for legal court auction to be taken against them and make them. What I also don’t get is how come a home affairs office have the right to say they don’t want to marry a gay couple if its against there culture or religion need to find other jobs as they are clearly not right for the position at any home affairs office am I getting my point across

By: michelle

michelle — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

same happened to my partner and i we had to drive to ghramstown.
i have never hated a town PORT ELIZABETH so much
the people and this place is a dump and i wish no one to come and live here.
this place is the worst place you can send someone to if you are married to the same sex .
i hope they learn their lesson and it becomes an industrial place for no living person.
how do we take action ? lets post this all over the world so no one supports this dump and it dies out....