Under the newly signed marriage and civil unions law for south Africa, a marriage officer may no longer object to solemnising a civil union between persons of the same sex. The laws follow a number of high-profile cases where a marriage officer refused to solemnise a same-sex couple as it was ‘contrary to their beliefs’.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday appended his signature to a new law that immediately introduces changes to some South African marriages and civil unions.

“The Presidency No. 1108 22 October 2020. It is hereby notified that the President has assented to the following Act, which is hereby published for general information:—Act No. 8 of 2020: Civil Union Amendment Act, 2020,” reads the gazetted document.

Therefore the 2020 Civil Union Amendment Act, was officially gazetted on Thursday (22 October) and comes into immediate effect. Read more via Taarifa