Christianity ‘has unfair advantage’

CHRISTIANITY is perpetuated as the sacred religion at the expense of other religions despite the constitution.

This is the rallying cry of indigenous African scholar and theologian Dr Nokuzola Mndende, interviewed by the Dispatch at a graduation ceremony at Icamagu Heritage Institute outside Dutywa on Friday.

Mndende, who has a doctorate (PhD) in theology from the University of Cape Town, questioned why, at the swearingin ceremony of President Jacob Zuma earlier this year, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng insisted that the president place his hand on the Bible while taking his oath. Mogoeng is a devout Christian. Yet, Mndende said, the country’s supreme law, the constitution, stated that all forms of religion were equal.

Mndende, one of the religious leaders invited to the ceremony, said: “South Africa is still a Christian country. They say [other religions] are recognised but we are still under the armpits of Christians. They say you must sink or swim.”

Mndende said Christianity was imbedded in the apartheid system. After decades of colonialism and capitalism, African religion was still classified as a discipline of the “illiterate”.

This led people to feel “ashamed” of being associated with their indigenous spiritual systems.

Earlier in the day, there was euphoria when eight men and women were formally ordained as “clergies” of African culture after undergoing training at the institute.

The graduates will be professionally recognised as chaplains and spiritual workers who will attend events to teach about the history of African religion while encouraging Africans to go back to their cultural roots.

AmaXhosa King Zwelonke Sigcau, who delivered the keynote address, called on youth to engage in cultural practices to reclaim their pride, and the authority of “blackness”. —