ALL CHURCHES NEED TO STAND WITH THE SACC AS IT RECLAIMS PROPHETIC ROLE OF SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

At the end of February, the South African Council of Churches (SACC) issued a statement which spoke out against attempts to “destabilise South African constitutional order”.

This statement is a direct response to Mr Jacob Zuma’s and others’ deviant behaviour in refusing to co-operate with the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, commonly known as the Zondo Commission. Mr Zuma’s refusal to comply with a summons to testify at the Zondo Commission is in contempt of an order issued by the Constitutional Court.

His unlawful behaviour signals to South Africans that he believes he is above the law and that he does not respect the rule of law, which is a hallmark of democracy.

The SACC has reclaimed its prophetic role in speaking truth to power. While the statement directly addresses Mr Zuma and the

African National Congress, it is also a rallying call to all the member churches of the SACC to stand for the truth and to speak out against attempts by factions within the ruling party to undermine the Constitution and the very democracy for which so many have struggled and died.

We, the members of the Hamb’ Ekukhanyeni Contextual Theology Collective (HECTiC), support the SACC in speaking truth to power and defending the democratic principle of equality before the law.

We call on all SACC member churches and other religious organisations in South Africa to publicly align themselves with the SACC’s statement and to defend at every opportunity the principles of democracy enshrined in the South African Constitution.