Wedding venue may face second case for discriminating against same-sex couples

Owners of a Western Cape wedding venue Beloftebos have been accused of rejecting an enquiry from a same-sex couple.

The South African Human Rights Commission says it is willing to assist a same-sex couple prohibited from using a Western Cape-based wedding venue - Beloftebos - after they inquired about the establishment's availability for their wedding.

Megan Watling took to social media on Thursday to express her anger when she received an email rejecting her enquiry.

The venue said it was unable to accommodate the pair because of its religious beliefs.

SA Human Rights Commissioner Adv Andre Gaum says this is not the first incident involving Beloftebos and that a similar matter is sitting in the Western Cape High Court.

We had a previous complaint of a gay couple at Beloftebos some time ago and we are finalising our papers.

Adv Andre Gaum - SA Human Rights Commissioner

We believe that one cannot, on the basis of your religious beliefs, trample on other rights. Especially the right to equality, human dignity and so on.

Adv Andre Gaum - SA Human Rights Commissioner

Gaum says the couple is welcome to lodge a complaint.

The guest house Beloftebos is not acting constitutionally and therefore we will also take up this particular matter. They can lay a complaint with us or we will do our own initiative and most probably add this to our existing matter.

Adv Andre Gaum - SA Human Rights Commissioner

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