The Department of Home Affairs has defended the draft Marriage Bill saying its to accommodate everyone.

According the department’s spokesperson, Siya Qoza members of the  Muslim community have been part of the consultation of this bill for the past 49 months. He insists that the interests of the Muslims community have neither been ignored or overlooked.

But Muslim groups have demanded that the bill be withdrawn stating that it goes against divine law. It’s opposed to the blanket approach this single piece of legislation seeks to take. Among the issues is that the bill takes a gender-neutral approach to unions, but is specific when referencing same-sex and polyamorous ones.