By Shirley Magazi, founder and executive chairperson of Christian Coalition of Churches in Namibia
The Church in Namibia has welcomed the recent enactment of the Marriage Act 2024 which explicitly defines marriage as a “legal union entered into voluntarily between two persons of the opposite sex and of full age”.
President Nangolo Mbumba signed the new marriage legislation on October 2 last year and it was gazetted on December 30.
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The marriage law update was precipitated by a ruling by the Namibian Supreme Court in May 2023 that obliged the nation to recognise same-sex marriages concluded in other jurisdictions.
The Church, under the leadership of the Christian Coalition of Churches in Namibia (CCCN) led the nation in a historic national protest on June 2 2025 against the Supreme Court ruling. A petition with over 30 000 signatures was handed to the state, calling on the executive and legislative branches to exercise their constitutional powers to enact a law prohibiting same-sex marriage in Namibia in line with the Christian values and morals of the people. This required government to clarify the definition of “marriage” and “spouse” through legislation to uphold the integrity of the Namibian Constitution and give effect to the framework of marriage as articulated in the Constitution.
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The new Act defines opposite sex as “(a) male sex in relation to the female sex and (b) female sex in relation to the male sex”, and sex “being as determinatively assigned for purposes of birth registration”. Spouse is defined as “a person, whether male or female, who is married to a person of the opposite sex and includes such person who is a party to a foreign marriage”.
Most of the Namibian population, which is 70% Christian, welcome the new marriage legislation but LGBT activists have vowed to challenge its constitutionality in court.
Although Namibia is officially a secular nation, its people are not secular. They hold strong beliefs and values rooted in their Christian faith, prompting the president, in November 2024, to declare that Namibia is a Christian nation.
It is thus not surprising that the people of Namibia continue to advocate for righteous laws that reflect their beliefs, morals and values. After all, the main government policy, Vision 2030. directs: “Although Namibia remains a secular society, Christianity is the most popular religion, which holds promise for moral upbringing of our children, and shapes the moral basis of our interpersonal dynamics, harmony and peaceful co-existence. Above all, the fear of God guides decision-making in Namibia and provides the driving force for the maintenance of a just and morally upright society.”
The Church is confident that the new Marriage Act will pass the constitutional challenge threatened by activists. Likewise, the Office of the President says that the Act is “constitutionally watertight”.
The Namibian Constitution limits all human rights and freedoms to decency and morality. Article 21 (2) of the Namibian Constitution reads: “The fundamental freedoms referred to in Sub-Article (1) hereof shall be exercised subject to the law of Namibia, in so far as such law imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the rights and freedoms conferred by the said Sub-Article, which are necessary in a democratic society and are required in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of Namibia, national security, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence”.
The Church applauds the Namibian government and particularly the president for upholding the rule of law and restoring the confidence of the Namibian people in the democracy of the country where the people exercise their sovereignty through the democratic institutions of the State.
The Church under the leadership of the CCCN stands ready to defend the Marriage Act and calls on all Namibians to stand together with the government. Formed in 2020, the CCCN advocates for laws based on bliblical values that protect and preserve morality in the nation
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