Contralesa slams legalisation of gay marriages

18 Feb 2007- South Africa-  The Congress of Tradition Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) has slammed the Constitutional Court and Parliament for making same sex marriages legal.

Patekile Holomisa, the Contralesa president and a Member of Parliament, was addressing the media at the end of his organisation's National General Council meeting held at Fourways, north of Johannesburg.

Contralesa's two-day meeting deliberated on various issues related to the institution of traditional leadership and traditional communities.

The issues included the cooperation between Traditional Councils and elected Municipal Councils, and the role of traditional leaders in the fight against HIV/Aids.

Caring for those affected by HIV/Aids

Talking to the media after the conference, Holomisa vowed that his organisation will continue to inform their people and fellow traditional leaders that same sex marriages should not be supported.

He claimed that the Constitutional Court had misinterpreted the constitution on this issue. Parliament passed the law that legalised same sex marriages after the Constitutional Court's intervention late last year.

"We remain convinced that the Constitutional Court was wrong in saying the constitution directed that there be same sex marriages," said Holomisa.

He also claimed that South Africans throughout the country objected and rejected same sex marriages when they were consulted by parliament.

On HIV/Aids, the meeting resolved that traditional leaders should lead the campaign to care for people infected and affected by the HIV/Aids pandemic.

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