Parliament to hear arguments for Civil Union Amendment Bill

Up until now, marriage officers have been allowed to refuse to marry same-sex couples on certain grounds and this bill seeks to change that. 

The committee adopted it yesterday and will now recommend that the National Assembly pass it. 

The co-founder of the Lesbian and Gay Community Health Centre, Nonhlanhla Mkhize, says same-sex couples are not only being turned away by marriage officers at the moment - they're also often still referred to as "Mr" and "Mrs" on their marriage certificates. 

She says this is a move in the right direction. 

"There's been quite a number of challenges and we've got a number of people especially looking at provinces like the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape. They have found themselves being shunned and mislabelled. 

"This is only the adoption of a bill. It will take us through a process where we will consult and get more people to support it. We are very much on the right track as South Africa," Mkhize said.