Leaders fear ‘state capture of churches’
Call for independent umbrella body to conduct oversight
RELIGIOUS leaders have called for an umbrella body to overlook churches, as opposed to the government, for fear of what they call “the state capture of churches”. The portfolio committee on co-operative governance and traditional affairs completed two days of hearing input from more than 40 organisations, including many of the mainline denominations and major independent church groups.
In a report titled “Commercialisation of Religion and Abuse of People’s Belief Systems”, the commission recommended that government have no control over churches.
The commission was established after controversial reports in the media about pastors instructing congregants to perform bizarre acts like eating grass and spraying themselves with doom.
The president of the South African Religious Forum, Selven Govender, said religious leaders played an important role in society by addressing the social, moral and religious aspects of society.
“Self-regulation is the way forward. When religious leaders do wrong it’s a spiritual matter, and therefore we need a spiritual body to educate and empower spiritually. Accountability is very important, and when a religious leader does wrong or misleads his people, the umbrella body would then take over.”
He added that those doing wrong were destroying and tarnishing religious freedom.
Freedom of Religion South Africa’s executive director, Michael Swain, said: “There was universal consensus that any abuse or harm committed in the name of religion or under the guise of freedom of religion was totally unacceptable, and much discussion was held on why existing laws that should cater for these incidents were not being properly enforced.
“There was a remarkable unity and solidarity around the recommendation made by almost all the presenters that a broadbased consultative conference to include the entire religious community of South Africa be called at an early opportunity.
“It is the correct forum for the religious community of South Africa to work together to address the legitimate issues raised in the report, and to develop solutions by the religious community and for the religious community that are truly self-regulatory.”
Church Leaders Empowerment Foundation Africa chairperson Pastor Thivha Lidzhade said the issues raised were not unique to Christianity.
“We are put in the spotlight because Christians make up 80% of the population. We should be left to congregate, and not to be state captured.”
He also said that foreign pastors should be checked before being allowed to preach in the country.
“We have seen people come into the country and opening churches, and then next thing they have bank accounts. Some people leave their countries as criminals and come here, and the next day they are pastors.”
‘SELF-REGULATION IS THE KEY. WHEN RELIGIOUS LEADERS DO WRONG IT’S A SPIRITUAL MATTER’