South Africa has formally abstained from adopting the draft African Charter on Family, Sovereignty and Values during the 4th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Sovereignty and Values held in Accra.

The delegation, led by Zandile Majozi, a South African politician and Member of Parliament (MP) in the National Assembly, cited fundamental conflicts with South Africa’s Constitution and international legal principles.

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The primary point of contention is the charter’s definition of marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman.

In her statement in a video shared by Channel One TV on June 5, 2026, at the conference, Majozi declared: “Per where you stand and the explanation you have given further, I want to state that in good faith South Africa would like to reserve our rights in not adopting the charter because it contradicts the Constitution of South Africa, especially Chapter Two, and also does not align with regional and international laws that we believe in, so we'd like to reserve our rights not to adopt it.”

South Africa legalised same-sex marriage in 2006, becoming the first African nation to do so, and its Constitution explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.

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The draft charter emerged from a series of inter-parliamentary conferences, primarily hosted in Entebbe, Uganda, between 2023 and 2025.

It aims to affirm traditional family structures, protect what proponents describe as African sovereignty and cultural values, and push back against perceived foreign ideologies on issues such as gender, sexuality, and reproductive rights.

The 4th conference in Accra sought to build momentum for the charter ahead of a potential presentation to the African Union General Assembly.

Watch the video below:

South Africa has declared its abstention from the adoption of the African Charter on Family, Sovereignty and Values at the 4th Inter-Parliamentary Conference in Accra.

The delegation says the Charter’s definition of marriage as solely between a man and a woman is inconsistent… pic.twitter.com/9o5QKmSTt5

— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) June 5, 2026