PREFACE

The Triennial Conference of the SACC recognises and affirms that the Church needs to be renewed as South Africa enters its second decade of democracy. This renewal demands that we respond to the prayer of our Lord, "that they may be one," and recognise that our unity, as Christians, is more important than our denominational identities and transcends racial barriers.

Our young democracy has embarked on a journey to overcome past divisions and injustices to build a new society founded on values of equality, justice, and respect for the dignity of all people and the integrity of creation. It is an affront to God that poverty, suffering, injustice, gender and economic inequalities persist into the era of democracy.

We are part of a society in the thrall of a culture of consumerism and greed that generates extremes of affluence and poverty, corruption, crime and undermines moral values. We confess that this culture has infected and affected the life of the Church.

As a people of faith called to obey the Gospel of the poor, we are committed:

• To reaffirming the values of honesty, truth-seeking, moral integrity, compassion, justice, neighbourly love and practical concern for those who are poor and marginalised:
• To manifesting these values in the life of the church; and
• To nurturing these values in the lives of our people and society as a whole by enabling spiritual growth through worship, pastoral care and ethical guidance.

We affirm that a renewed church must continue to give priority to the needs of the poor, to work for social, economic and political justice and to ensure the sustainable preservation of the environment for future generations.

In pursuing these aims, we will seek ways of cooperating with government, business and organs of civil society while remaining faithful to our prophetic calling to work for justice.

Resolution 1: Zimbabwe

Conference:

• Decries the tragedy of Zimbabwe which has resulted in pain, suffering and dislocation for many people in Zimbabwe, as well as the erosion of human rights, the decline of the economy and the destruction of much of that country's natural heritage.
• Regrets the violence involved in the process of land redistribution; and
• Notes the ineffectiveness of outside intervention and the desire and efforts of many Zimbabweans to solve their problems themselves;

And therefore resolves to:

1. Express its prayerful concern for the people and churches of Zimbabwe;
2. Support the efforts of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches to arrange a Forum for dialogue that will include all political parties and representatives of civil society;
3. Call for unhindered participation of local and international Observers at the next elections to assist in creating a climate of free and fair elections;
4. Call on members of the National Council of Churches in the FOCCISA region to support one another when crises beset our people; and
5. Affirm the SACC programme of solidarity and pastoral involvement with the people and Churches of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwean refugees in South Africa.

Resolution 2: Democratic Republic of Congo

In the light of the 2005 elections expected to be held in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Conference resolves to:

1. Build a coalition of South African organisations that have the expertise to assist the DRC in its electoral preparations to ensure a free and fair election;
2. Participate in this coalition; and
3. Facilitate logistics and mobilise resources to promote a fair and efficient poll.

Resolution 3: Land

Conference notes that:

• In spite of government's efforts to address the land question, the vast majority of land in South Africa remains in the hands of a white minority;
• Market-based land reform strategies effectively deny the poor secure access to land;
• Women continue to have restricted access to land and a limited role in decision-making regarding its use.

In the light of the church's solidarity with the poor (and in this context, particularly with women and the landless), and its commitment to see justice done in our society, Conference resolves to:

1. Cooperate with the Church Land Programme and other organisations in taking forward the member churches' initiatives on land, including the hosting of a church consultation on land matters that can address both church-owned land and the broader agrarian question;
2. Call for the government to convene a national land summit, in collaboration with other civil society organisations to review the progress made in land reform;
3. Advocate for agrarian reform that prioritises the needs of the poor and ensures household food security;
4. Investigate violations of human rights and land rights in local communities in order to help communities to resist such abuses and to strengthen the Church's advocacy role;
5. Support the presidential directive on the finalisation of restitution claims by the end of 2005 and ensure that the rural claims are prioritised and that appropriate post-transfer support is in place; and
6. Investigate the ownership of land in SA by non South Africans, so that the church can discern an appropriate advocacy position on this issue.

Resolution 4: Human Rights

Conference agrees to:

1. Collaborate with the SA Human Rights Commission on programmes that enhance respect for human rights; and
2. Work with the Legal Aid Board in their programmes and particularly the resourcing of the indigent in their search for the right to justice.

Resolution 5: Economic Justice

Conference:

1. Authorises the Justice Ministries unit of the SACC to work with the Bench Marks Foundation of South Africa (BeFSA) to promote the implementation of the decisions of the Broederstroom and Utrecht Conferences of 1993 as they pertain to the ethical running of commerce and industry; and
2. Calls for research on the conduct of South African based companies in the region of Southern Africa in consultation with BeFSA and ESSET.

Resolution 6: Youth

Conference:

1. Affirms the Faith Based Youth Development initiative and reiterates its 2001 decision to appoint a full time youth worker in the National Office to coordinate ecumenical youth programmes;
2. Instructs the NEC to develop a policy for youth ministry;
3. Urges the NEC to seek ways to improve the communication between youth structures associated with the SACC; and
4. Mandates the NEC to explore the establishment of financial mechanisms to cater for the needs of the youth within the SACC.

Resolution 7: The People's Budget Campaign

Conference:

• Recognises the People's Budget Campaign (PBC) as a mechanism to identify alternative macro-economic strategies and fiscal policies that can eradicate poverty, create jobs, promote broad based economic development, and foster greater equity by race, gender and class; and
• Notes that the PBC is intended to help its members - churches, trade unions and civil society organisations - to increase the economic literacy of their constituencies and enable them to engage in national and local economic debates.

Conference therefore:

1. Reaffirms the SACC's commitment to the aims and processes of the PBC; and
2. Authorises the SACC's continued participation in the PBC's National Steering Committee.

Resolution 8: The Basic Income Grant

Conference notes that:

• The government has not yet responded positively to the call for the introduction of a universal Basic Income Grant;
• The gap between the rich and the poor in South Africa is widening; and
• The SACC has supported the Campaign for a Basic Income Grant, in keeping with the mandate of the 2001 National Conference.

Conference therefore:

1. Requests the General Secretary and the NEC to approach the government again to reaffirm the churches' call for a Basic Income Grant as an affordable and crucial mechanism to alleviate poverty; and
2. Affirms the roles that the SACC's Poverty Eradication Programme and Parliamentary Office are playing on the National Steering Committee and the Management Committee of the BIG Coalition, respectively.

Resolution 9: HIV/AIDS and the Churches

Whilst noting the decisions of the 2001 Conference on HIV and AIDS, Conference further:

1. Encourages member churches and theological training institutions to develop an appropriate theological response to the HIV and AIDS crisis: A theology of life that deals positively with suffering and the loving acceptance of those affected;
2. Encourages dialogue between the medical profession and traditional healers;
3. Welcomes the roll out of the anti-retroviral medications and urges the Department of Health to accelerate the process within the context of appropriate treatment;
4. Urges member churches to assist HIV and AIDS orphans financially and in other ways; and
5. Instructs the NEC to offer practical leadership to member churches in developing appropriate HIV and AIDS responses within their churches and communities and to extend programmes to areas that are presently under-served.

Resolution 10: The State of Theological Education

Conference notes with regret the poor state of theological education at the end of our first decade of democracy and therefore:

1. Calls on the General Secretary to involve member Churches in addressing the situation by embarking on a theological education programme that will more adequately equip the church to meet the challenges of the 21st century;
2. Urges churches to cooperate in this important venture; and
3. Requests the General Secretary to engage with the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) of the Council on Higher Education (CHE) to consider the policies on assurance of theological education and the quality of such education.

Resolution 11: Women's Credit Savings Co-operatives

Following the Women's Ecumenical Conference Resolution on Women's Credit Savings Co-operatives, Conference requests the NEC to consider:

1. Establishing a centre for the purpose of sharing information on Women's Credit Savings Co-operatives;
2. Initiating a programme to educate member churches and communities about Treasury Bonds as a potential investment; and
3. Establishing a savings and credit scheme administered by and for women, registering it as a Non-Profit Organisation under the auspices of the SACC and ensuring its sustainability by equipping its leaders with entrepreneurial and training skills.

Resolution 12: Genetically Modified Organisms

Conference notes the Statement on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) issued following an Ecumenical Consultation facilitated by the SACC and therefore:

1. Calls on the relevant government authorities to:
   1. Adopt the precautionary principle and prohibit the introduction of GMOs until their safety for future generations is certain;
   2. Ensure that monopolistic control of seed reproduction and distribution by trans-national biotech companies is prevented;
   3. Ensure full transparency regarding relevant applications and permits; and
2. Urges the Poverty Eradication Programme to develop educational materials on GMOs and disseminate this information to member churches.

Resolution 13: Matric Farewell Functions

Conference notes the popularity and increasing danger and costs associated with Matric Farewell Functions and expresses its concern that:

• Matric Farewell Functions, also known as Matric Dances, are becoming increasingly extravagant and imposing unsustainable financial burdens on poorer families;
• The social value of such functions may be lost if they become little more than occasions for conspicuous consumption and materialistic competition among students;
• Unbeknown to parents and teachers, these functions can become occasions for substance abuse and sexual immorality among youth.

Conference therefore urges the General Secretary to engage stakeholders involved in education -- including the Association of SGB's, student bodies and teachers' organisations -- about the concerns identified.

Resolution 14: Healthy Families

Conference notes with concern:

• The decline in morals and values within our families and the Church;
• The increased rate of violence in our society, much of which is directed at women and children.

Conference therefore:

1. Calls on Churches to embark on a Campaign to support healthy families; and
2. Urges Churches to undertake gender-focused campaigns aimed at encouraging and supporting men's constructive role in the lives of their families.

Resolution 15: Appropriate Funerals and Memorials

As people are created in the image of God, we affirm this God-given dignity in our earthly life and after death and, therefore, extend our respect for life to those who have also passed on and their families. In respecting the dead, however, we should not respect the burial, but the person.

Conference therefore commits itself to:

• Promoting and investing our resources in life-enhancing processes;
• Calling church leaders (ordained and lay) to educate their members about appropriate burial options by making public statements about how they should be buried and encouraging members of their families to do the same;
• Being present with bereaved families before, during and after the burial to offer care, counselling and guidance.

Conference further resolves to:

1. Call upon our members to setup living legacies and endowment funds for their loved ones -- such as setting bursary funds in the name of the deceased -- instead of spending money on expensive funeral processes and rituals;
2. Call upon our churches and their members to restore the dignity and spiritual elements of funeral services;
3. Lobby government to set up a statutory body involving all stakeholders to regulate the funeral industry; and
4. Urge the SACC to oppose the privatisation of cemeteries, as this is one of the major causes of high costs of burials.

Resolution 16: Xenophobia

Conference notes with regret:

• the resurgence of incidents of xenophobia and tribalism;
• the growing exploitation of immigrants for cheap labour; and
• the conflicts that arise between unemployed nationals and immigrants who compete for scarce resources and job opportunities:

Conference therefore resolves to:

1. Mandate the SACC's Refugee Ministries to conduct education programmes in communities and member churches about the situation faced by refugees;
2. Develop programmes to enable churches to render effective pastoral support to refugees; and
3. Engage in advocacy work through the office of the General Secretary aimed at influencing legislation that ensures humane treatment of refugees and the protection of their rights.

Resolution 17: Refugees from Zimbabwe and Swaziland

Conference notes with deep concern:

• The growing number of Zimbabwean nationals uprooted from their country due to political and economic turmoil; and
• The deteriorating political situation in Swaziland, which has prompted fears about the possible displacement of Swazi nationals from the country.

Conference therefore:

1. Commends the Southern African Churches in Ministry with Uprooted People (SACMUP) for its ongoing work with refugees;
2. Urges Member Churches, particularly those with constituencies in countries, to support efforts towards restoring normal governance for the good of citizens; and
3. Calls on the NEC to ensure that the office of the General Secretary, the various departments of the SACC and the Provincial Councils develop a ministry of accompaniment of refugees.

Resolution 18: Racism

Conference recognises that racism and tribalism continue to damage all of God's children and inflict festering wounds on church and community.

Conference therefore:

1. Commends the work undertaken by the Reconciliation and Healing Programme; and
2. Encourages the churches to initiate pilot projects to work on reconciliation through open dialogue, with a view to taking constructive action thereafter.

Resolution 19: Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme

Conference:

1. Resolves to continue supporting the World Council of Churches' (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) and directs the National Executive to encourage member churches to become involved in this important initiative; and
2. Pledges its support for the efforts of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) to foster peace in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire and any other areas on the continent troubled by conflict.

Resolution 20: Reparations

Conference:

1. Recognises the right of people to seek legal redress for corporate practices that helped to sustain the apartheid government as a Constitutional and human right for all South Africans;
2. Supports as morally just the claim for reparations by people victimised by political and economic systems;
3. Calls on the NEC to facilitate ongoing dialogue between the SACC and Victims Support Group in order to:
   • deepen the understanding of and effective response to the TRC's unfinished business and reparations issues and
   • explore cooperation with and support for programmes that advance the healing of victims in a way which enables the responsible rebuilding and development of community;
4. Notes the existing Khulumani litigation and its critical role in addressing issues of global iniquity and the practices of multinational corporations both internationally and locally;
5. Refers this litigation to the NEC for urgent action; and
6. Mandates the NEC to meet with the government urgently to confer broadly on the matter of reparations to apartheid victims.

Resolution 21: Church-State Development Cooperation

The Church is the body of Christ in the service of God's mission in the world. The identity of the ecumenical movement and its service is therefore based on God's will to redeem the world and to create life in abundance for all. From a theological perspective, therefore, Conference acknowledges that both the Church and Government are instruments in the service of God's mission in the world and that both face common challenges in uplifting the marginalized and the poor.

At the same time, the Churches recognise, however, that our public and prophetic witness covers a wide variety of issues. We therefore affirm the need for an independent, prophetic voice that seeks to advocate on fundamental issues such as economic justice, moral regeneration, equality, land distribution, etc.

The SACC National Conference, therefore, understands and supports the need for a process that seeks to define a new strategy and model of partnership between member Churches, Government and civil society in order to seek a model of cooperation for social development that will alleviate poverty in our communities.

To this end, National Conference mandates the NEC to appoint a Task Group that will seek to research and define models of cooperation between Churches and Governments. Such Task Group shall also seek to negotiate a new partnership for community development while consulting with communities and other faith networks. Such a model of cooperation shall seek, in combining the resources of the Government with the networks and capacities of the Churches, to establish equity, good governance and the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in order to benefit the poorest and alleviate poverty.