2005 News & Press Releases

Interfaith Delegation to Explore Reconciliation in Rwanda

At the invitation of the South African Ambassador to Rwanda, the SACC's Proclaiming Reconciliation Programme is organising a visit to Kigali by seven South African Christian and Muslim leaders members, to coincide with South Africa's Day of Reconciliation celebrations on 16 December. The delegation will meet with their counterparts in Rwanda to discuss the role of faith communities in promoting reconciliation and national unity.

SACC Mourns the Passing of Mr. Richard Khanyi

SACC members mourn the death of Mr. Richard Khanyi, a 15 year veteran of the Council's national staff. Richard was the driver for four successive General Secretaries and was many visitors' first point of contact with the Council as he met them at the airport. He will be sorely missed by family, friends and colleagues.

SACC Responds to Constitutional Court Decision on Same-Sex Marriage

The SACC commended the Constitutional Court for the sensitivity of its decision declaring the Marriage Act unconstitutional because it discriminates against same-sex couples. The Court emphasised that its decision does not impose any additional duties on local congregations. The Council welcomed the opportunity for Parliament to be involved in drafting a new Marriage Act.

COSATU, SACC and TAC Step Up Campaign to Prevent and Treat HIV

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the SACC and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) have issued a joint statement and plan of action designed to press for an effective national HIV prevention plan and improved access to anti-retroviral therapy for as a step towards universal treatment access.

The Road from Aqraba Ends at Yanoun

EAPPI trainer Rev. Janet Trisk gives a poignant perspective on the history of the West Bank, the significance of Wall and recent events in Hebron and Yanoun following a visit to Israel and Palestine to attend the opening of the Jerusalem Ecumenical Centre.

Faith Leaders Endorse Statement on Violence Against Women and Children

Marking the commencement of the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women and Children, faith leaders in the National Religious Leaders Forum (NRLF) endorsed a statement acknowledging that "even those who have been entrusted with the care of vulnerable people ... have often abused that trust." The faith leaders committed themselves to taking action to halt such abuses.

SA Churches Ask What Must Be Done About Namibian Graves

The General Secretary of the SACC has written to the Namibian Council of Churches to ask for recommendations on how South Africans can honour the memory of Namibian soldiers found in mass graves in northern Namibia. He has also called on South Africans with information about the apartheid-era massacres to come forward and reveal what they know.

General Secretary's Contract Coming to an End

The President of the SACC, Prof Russel Botman, announced that the NEC would form a Search Committee to seek a successor for the current General Secretary, Dr. Molefe Tsele, when his contract expires early next year. Prof. Botman praised Dr. Tsele's leadership at a critical juncture in the life of the Council and the nation.

Meeting a West Bank Settler

Ms. Afiefah Osman, a South African participant in the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Accompanier Programme for Palestine and Israel, tells about her encounter with a young woman whose family had settled in the West Bank. Their conversation provides a rare glimpse into one settler's views on faith, culture and relationships.

WCC Ecumenical Team Reports on Visit to Zimbabwe

A six-person team of ecumenical leaders visited Zimbabwe at the beginning of October to gain a better understanding of the situation in that country. Their report summarises their major findings and makes recommendations for further action.

Resolutions of the National Conference on Racial and Gender Justice

The SACC National Conference on Racial and Gender Justice adopted resolutions on the policies and practices of faith communities, the development of a spirituality to combat racism and sexism, internalised racism, and the use of specially trained Racial/Gender Justice commissioners.

Occupation and the Oppression of Identity in Palestine

Ms. Afiefah Osman, a South African participant in the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Accompanier Programme for Palestine and Israel, writes about her experiences on her return from the Middle East: "Freedom in South Africa has taken on a new meaning for me as I had forgotten what it was like to be restricted, but being in Palestine brought back those memories. It was like having a scab pulled off a wound that has not completely healed."

SACC Convenes National Conference on Racial and Gender Justice

The SACC's Healing and Reconciliation Unit is convening a national conference on racial and gender justice, 25-26 October 2005. The consultation will mark the completion of a cycle of research which was launched by the SACC National Conference in 2004. It is hoped that the conferencve will enable participants from various faith communities to develop a common plan of action to confront discrimination within their own structures.

SACC Executive Discusses Social and Political Concerns

Following its quarterly meeting in Johannesburg, the SACC's National Executive Committee issued a communique outlining the Council's views on a range of current issues. The statement touched on floor crossing, party funding, local government elections, circumcision and HIV, orphans, poverty, violence against women and children, and the proposed National Child Safety Watch scheme.

"Operation Hope for Zimbabwe" Relief Arrives

Zimbabwe's Christian Care reports the arrival of food and blankets destined for families displaced by Operation Murambatsvina. The relief, donated by South African churches, was delayed for six weeks by Zimbabwean agricultural and customs restrictions.

Premier Urges Church Factions to Reconcile

Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa has called on warring factions of the St. John's Apostolic Faith Mission Church of South Africa to put aside differences that have divided the church for more than 30 years. The Premier was speaking at a reconciliation meeting convened by the SACC at Khotso House.

Archbishop Tutu to Intervene in Church Dispute

The SACC has asked a team of Eminent Leaders, including Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Mrs. Adelaide Tambo, and former SACC President Dr. Khoza Mgojo, to mediate a dispute among factions within the St. John's Apostolic Faith Mission. A reconciliation indaba will take place at Khotso House next week ahead of a major meeting of the church.

Council "Relieved" By Release of Zimbabwe Supplies

The Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Eddie Makue, has said he was "relieved" that the SACC, with the help of the South African Department of Agriculture, had finally acquired the necessary papers to enable relief supplies collected by South African churches to be shipped to Zimbabwe.

Zim Food Cleared

The South African Department of Agriculture has helped the SACC to certify that the emergency food supplies being shipped to Zimbabwe are free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Relief shipments have been blocked by the Zimbabwe government's refusal to accept the documentation originally provided by the food supplier.

Church Leaders Bless Initial Zim Aid

Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane led prayers for the people of Zimbabwe at today's "Operation Hope for Zimbabwe" blessing ceremony on a busy Johannesburg street. The consignment of 37 tons of food and nearly 5 000 blankets is the first SACC relief shipment to victims of "Operation Murambatsvina".

Church Leaders to Bless Zim Relief

Details of the ceremony of blessing to take place at the South African Council of Churches headquarters, Khotso House, on Monday as part of the "Operation Hope for Zimbabwe" initiative.

First SA Church Aid for Zimbabwe

More information on the first shipment of Operation Hope for Zimbabwe relief supplied to be sent off by the SACC on Monday, 1 August.

"Operation Hope for Zimbabwe" to Send First Batch of Relief

The South African Council of Churches (SACC) will dispatch a container of relief supplies to churches in Zimbabwe next week as the first outcome of "Operation Hope for Zimbabwe". SACC members will announce their pledges to the campaign at a press briefing at Khotso House at 14h00 on Monday, 1 August.

Christian Bodies Worldwide Call for Inquiry into Attack on HIV Activists

The World Council of Churches, the SACC and two dozen other church and ecumenical bodies on six continents have written to South African officials to call for an investigation of the 12 July attack by police on a peaceful Treatment Action Campaign demonstration outside Frontier Hospital in Queenstown, Eastern Cape. Fifty-four people were injured when police used batons, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse TAC activists campaigning for accelerated roll-out of the government's antiretroviral therapy programme.

Church Leaders Launch "Operation Hope for Zimbabwe

Following on the action by the Central Committee in condemning the Zimbabwean government's "Operation Murambatsvina", a second pastoral delegation has returned from Harare calling for the launch of a massive relief campaign dubbed "Operation Hope for Zimbabwe.

SACC Pastoral Delegation to Zimbabwe Reports

Speaking to the Central Committee of the SACC on their return from a pastoral visit to communities affected by the Zimbabwean government's "Operation Murambatsvina", Prof. Russel Botman and other church leaders described the "shocking" suffering they witnessed. They called on South African churches to launch a National Campaign of Relief, to write letters of solidarity and to pray for the people of Zimbabwe.

Churches Leaders to Visit Zimbabwe

In light of recent reports on the situation in Zimbabwe, the SACC and the All Africa Conference of Churches are co-ordinating a pastoral visit to Harare by a delegation of senior church leaders. The delegation will be led by Prof. Russel Botman, President of the SACC, and Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane.

SA Churches to Present Further Tsunami Relief Funds

On behalf of the SACC, the General Secretary will present a representative of the Fellowship of Christian Councils of Churches in Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA) with a further R500 000 in relief funds on 6 July. The gift comes six months after a tsunami devastated much of South Asia and the east coast of Africa.

Methodist Church Leaders Speak Out on Zimbabwe

Leaders of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa have called on President Mbeki to revise the South African Government's present policy on refugees from Zimbabwe, called for their humane treatment, and warned of potential genocide in that country.

WCC Condemns Forced Evictions in Zimbabwe

The World Council of Churches has written to Zimbabwe's Minister of Justice to protest the forced evictions associated with Operation Murambatsvina, which has left more than 200,000 homeless. The letter highlights similar concerns expressed by the Zimbabwe Council of Churches and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference.

Church Leaders Herald "New Era" of Children's Rights in SA

Church leaders, including the SACC's General Secretary and Senior Vice President and Bishop Ivan Abrahams, Chair of the South African Church Leaders' Forum, have welcomed the passage of the Children's Bill. Nine years in the making, the landmark legislation gives further recognition to children's rights and regulates the way in which the state deals with vunerable children. Dr. Tsele called the Bill "an appropriate and timely indication of our shared political and moral will to shape our nation around values of mutual care and accountability".

Zuma Decision Shows Strength of SA Democracy

Following President Mbeki's announcement that Deputy President Jacob Zuma has been relieved of his duties, the General Secretary expressed pride in the strength of South Africa's Constitution and respect for the Deputy President's "enormous and laudable contributions ... to freedom and democracy" in South Africa and across Africa.

SACC Delegation to Meet with Deputy President

A pastoral delegation of senior clerics will meet with Deputy President Jacob Zuma to express the concern of the churches and provide a ministry of accompaniment to the Deputy President as he considers the implications of the recent Durban High Court judgement in the Schabir Shaik corruption trial.

EAPPI Observer Reflects on His Experiences

Maj. Paul Khantsi, Ecumenical Representative Officer for the Salvation Army in South Africa, is currently serving in the West Bank village of Yanoun as part of the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme for Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). In this article, prepared for the Salvation Army magazine, he reflects on his experiences and the importance of EAPPI.

Four Pastors Head List of 18 New Ecumenical Accompaniers in WCC Programme

Four pastors, including three of the five South African delegates, are part of the latest group of 18 Ecumenical Accompaniers to arrive in Israel and Palestine under a two-year-old World Council of Churches programme. Accompaniers work with local churches and non-governmental organisations in Israel and Palestine in an effort to reduce the brutality of the Occupation and improve daily life for people on both sides of the border.

Don't Be Confused by Unproven Medical Claims, SACC Warns

The SACC expressed concern about a recent series of advertisements sponsored by Dr. Matthias Rath. The ads allege that anti-retroviral medications are toxic and claim that AIDS can be effectively treated with multivitamins. They also grossly misrepresent the motivations and strategy of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC). The SACC reaffirmed its support for the TAC and its right to protect its name through legal action. In an effort to dispel any confusion generated by these ads, the SACC reiterated its understanding that, according to the best available medical evidence, adequate nutrition and appropriate medical treatment - including antiretroviral therapy where clinically indicated - both play an important role in sustaining and improving the lives of people living with HIV.

Interfaith Service Marches for Trade Justice

Singing "Siyahamba - We are marching in the light of God", faith leaders from Christian, Muslim and Jewish traditions led 500 worshippers on a procession from St. George's Anglican Cathedral in Cape Town to St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral, opposite the Houses of Parliament. During the service, organised as part of the Global Week of Action on Trade, Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane made an impassioned plea for an end to poverty and unjust trade rules. Textile workers, whose jobs are being threatened by imports of cheap goods produced under sweatshop conditions in other parts of the world, also spoke movingly of their plight.

[Archbishop's address]

[more]

Queenspark Visit Marks Start of Global Week of Action on Trade

A group of 30 religious, labour and community leaders observed the beginning of the Global Week of Action on Trade by paying a visit to clothing retailer Queenspark's outlet in fashionable Cavendish Square shopping mall. The delegation presented a memorandum to the store's manager, calling on Queenspark to sign a local procurement agreement and on Queenspark's parent company, Rex Trueform, to negotiate with workers to prevent closure of its Salt River garment factory. Mall security banned cameras from the premises - citing the need to protect their clients' "intellectual property rights" - so the delegation held an impromptu press conference on the pavement outside the mall.

[About the GWA]

[more]

Statements on the Zimbabwe Elections

At a joint press conference in Johannesburg on 7 April, the members of the Zimbabwe Observer Consortium (the SACC, the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, SANGOCO, IDASA, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, and the Centre for Policy Studies) released a statement assessing the 31 March Zimbabwe parliamentary elections. The Consortium lauded the "bravery and demeanour of Zimbabweans who contributed to what was largely a peaceful election day" but concluded that the election "has fallen short of ... stringent SADC standards". At the same time, some of the Consortium members, including the SACC, released their own supplemental statements. The SACC statement celebrated the unexpected peacefulness of the elections and urged all parties to work together to address the suffering of Zimbabwe's people.

[Consortium statement]

[SACC statement]

South African Churches Celebrate the Life of Pope John Paul II

"This is not a time to mourn the passing of a friend, but a moment to celebrate a life lived faithfully and in solidarity with the poor of the world," said Bishop Ivan Abrahams, Chair of the South African Church Leaders' Forum, about the death yesterday of Pope John Paul II, one of history's longest serving pontiffs. The SACC General Secretary remembered the Holy Father as "a friend of South Africa and a supporter of the struggle for democracy, human rights and dignity for all."

SACC General Secretary Refused Entry to Zimbabwe

Dr. Molefe Tsele, the General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches, and Mr. Abie Ditlhake, the General Secretary of the SADC NGO Council, were prohibited from entering Zimbabwe to take part in observing the country's general election, scheduled for 31 March.

SACC Warns Observers Not to Prejudge Zimbabwe's Election

Following a number of premature statements concerning the legitimacy of Zimbabwe's general election, scheduled for 31 March, the General Secretary of the SACC has discouraged observers from prejudging the fairness of the poll. "Making pronouncements on the legitimacy of the election before it even gets underway may undermine confidence in the process, discourage participation and skew the outcome. We must not forget that these are Zimbabwean elections, not South African or SADC elections," Dr. Tsele warned. He said that solidarity actions should be aimed at promoting justice and peace and enabling the people of Zimbabwe to regain control of their lives.

Tribute to Jean-Francois Bill - Pastor, Activist and Theologian

The Rev. Jean-Francois Bill, a former Administrative General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches and Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in South Africa, passed away on 12 March, aged 70. Professor Tinyiko Maluleke remembers this remarkable man and his contributions to church and society in South Africa. Hamba kahle, Zukwa!

Save Rex Trueform!

The recently announced closure of Rex Trueform's garment plant in Salt River, Cape Town, threatens to put another 1000 people out of work in an industry that has lost nearly 100 000 formal jobs in the last decade. The SACC and COSATU have come together to form a "Save Jobs Coalition" that is calling on South African textile and footwear retailers to boycott sweatshop-produced goods and to commit to buying at least 75% of their inventory from domestic manufacturers. The Coalition is also calling on government to implement safeguards to protect the clothing and textile industry from unfair competition.

Zimbabwe Elections: SACC Concerned About Accreditation

SACC officials are to lead a team of South African civil society representatives to observe the 31 March elections in Zimbabwe. The observer team has been recruited by a consortium of six South African organisations that came together in response to the African Union's call for civil society to play an active role in Africa's renewal. The SACC General Secretary has asked the Zimbabwe government to approve the consortium's application for accreditation timeously to facilitate the formation of a credible observer delegation.

SACC Calls for a Save Jobs Coalition

As the result of a discussion at the February meeting of the National Executive Committee, the General Secretary has written to the Secretary General of COSATU to express concern about the rapid loss of jobs in the textile industry, to endorse a 75% local procurement agreement in the retail clothing sector and to call on labour, faith-based and community organisations to form a Save Jobs Coalition to promote ethical consumption, fair international labour standards and trade rules, and the creation and retention of quality jobs.

SACC Calls Churches to Mobilise for Justice and Human Rights in Zimbabwe

In a significant departure from its earlier emphasis on pastoral accompaniment of Zimbabwe's churches, the National Executive Committee has urged SACC members to mobilise support for justice, peace and human rights in Zimbabwe. The NEC adopted the resolution, which builds on the position of the 2004 National Conference, after a briefing by the Congress of South African Trade Unions that highlighted the systematic denial of workers' rights in Zimbabwe. "We have heard the cries of ordinary people and trade unionists in Zimbabwe, and we feel we must respond," said the SACC General Secretary, Dr. Molefe Tsele.

SACC Asks ANC to Act Against Komphela for Calling Tutu's View's "Treasonous"

At its meeting of 27-28 February, the National Executive Committee of the SACC expressed "grave disquiet" over remarks attributed to the Chair of the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport, the Hon. Butana Komphela. Mr. Komphela reportedly termed "treasonous" the Archbishop Emeritus' view that the current approach to transformation in sport amounted to little more than "tokenism". The NEC has asked the African National Congress to address the situation as a matter of urgency. It will also send a high-level delegation to pay a pastoral visit to Archbishop Tutu.

SACC Says Condoms Not an Inferior Weapon in the Fight Against HIV and AIDS

In the face of further claims by religious leaders that condoms are not safe, the General Secretary of the SACC reaffirmed the Council's position that condoms have a role to play in preventing HIV transmission. "It is entirely appropriate for religious leaders to express their moral and strategic concerns as part of the national debate on HIV and AIDS," Dr. Tsele said. "However, they should not pretend that their ethical misgivings are validated by scientific evidence." Bishop Ivan Abrahams, Chair of the National Church Leaders' Forum, said that there was "broad acceptance [within Christian churches] that condoms are an appropriate and effective means of preventing infection in at least some circumstances."

Condoms Essential Component of Anti-AIDS Strategy, SACC Warns

The General Secretary of the SACC expressed shock and dismay over continuing assertions that condoms "don't work" as a means of preventing HIV transmission. He said that the scientific evidence showed clearly that condoms block the virus when properly used. He attacked the resurgent moral conservatism being fueled by the US President's war on condoms and applauded the South African government for its continuing commitment to condom distribution.

Interfaith Relief Commission Established

Leaders of South Africa's main faith communities -- Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Buddhist -- met in Johannesburg on 6 January to form a joint Interfaith Disaster and Humanitarian Relief Commission. The new body is to be a permanent forum that will not only respond to natural disasters, but also health concerns, such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic and malaria, and African debt.