Carter described the amendment as a timely reminder of the ethos that should inform the provision of government service, and of the values and principles that should inform the morality of those seeking to become civil servants.
“It says that if you are employed as a nurse, for example, it is wrong to contend that it is not your duty to remove and clean the bedpans of one’s patients, or to feed them.
“It is wrong to seek employment as a teacher if you won’t treat all children equally or fairly regardless of race or creed — or if you refuse to be subjected to performance appraisals,” she said
The National Freedom Party (NFP), the African Independent Congress (AIC) and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) were the only parties to object to the bill.
The NFP’s Sibusiso Mncwabe rejected the bill on behalf of his party after complaining that despite them representing a large section of the population and having different beliefs, traditional leaders were not consulted.
The AIC’s Lulama Ntshayisa charged that instead of passing an amendment bill, parliament should be repealing the Civil Union Act. Ntshayisa said his party did not support the original law and the amendment because they did not believe that same-sex marriages were “our culture”, or anybody’s culture.