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Civil Union Act, 2006 (Act No. 17 of 2006)

5. Designation of ministers of religion and other persons attached to religious denomination or organisation as marriage officers

 

1) Any religious denomination or organisation may apply in writing to the Minister to be designated as a religious organisation that may solemnise marriages in terms of this Act.

 

2) The Minister may designate such a religious denomination or organisation as a religious institution that may solemnise marriages under this Act, and must, from time to time, publish particulars of all religious institutions so designated in the Gazette.

 

3) The Minister may, on request of any designated religious institution referred to in subsection (2), revoke the designation under that subsection and must publish such revocation in the Gazette.

 

4) The Minister and any officer in the public service authorised thereto by him or her may designate, upon receiving a written request from any minister of religion or any person holding a responsible position in any designated religious institution to be, as long as he or she is such a minister or occupies such position, a marriage officer for the purpose of solemnising marriages, in accordance with this Act, and according to the rites of that religion.

 

5) Every designation of a person as a marriage officer under subsection (4) shall be by written instrument and the date as from which it shall have effect and any limitation to which it is subject shall he specified in such instrument.

 

6) The Minister and any officer in the public service authorised thereto by him or her may, upon receiving a written request from a person designated as a marriage officer under subsection (4), revoke, in writing, the designation of such person as a marriage officer for purposes of solemnising marriages under this Act.