The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) has expressed "grave disquiet" at recent remarks attributed to the Hon. Butana Komphela, chair of the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport, which characterised Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu's views on transformation as "treasonous".

In a resolution adopted by the NEC at their quarterly meeting on 27-28 February, church leaders took note of comments attributed to both Archbishop Tutu, a former General Secretary of the SACC, and to Mr. Komphela. The NEC stated "its commitment to defend the rights of every citizen to express viewpoints on our democracy in accordance with his or her conscience" and called on the African National Congress to attend to the matter urgently.

The NEC further resolved to send a high-level pastoral delegation, led by the SACC President, Prof. Russel Botman, to meet with Archbishop Tutu.

The exchange of views was precipitated by a press interview last week in which the Archbishop Emeritus was quoted as saying that the current approach to transformation in sport amounted to little more than tokenism. He called for more resources to be devoted to improving sports facilities in disadvantaged communities. Mr. Komphela reportedly called Tutu's views "treasonous" and "tantamount to undermining the spirit of the new constitution which recognises the need for transformation".

The NEC resolution also encouraged "all South Africans to use temperate language in the course of public exchanges".

"The strength of our democracy lies in the public space we create for a diversity of viewpoints to coexist," said the SACC's General Secretary, the Rev. Dr. Molefe Tsele. He noted that public officials had a particular responsibility to defend the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights.

For more information: Dr. Molefe Tsele, 082 458 2037