The ANC released a statement yesterday stating that it has not called for state regulation of churches and that it believes that churches and religious institutions must be free to govern and regulate their own affairs within the ambit of the Constitution.
The statement released by ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu notes the South African Church Defenders’ (SACD) concern about and marches against the CRL Rights Commission’s proposals for state regulation of religion.
The SACD, who went to the High Court last year to challenge the lawfulness of the CRL’s Section 22 Committee for the Christian Sector is one of the many voices in the faith sector who have been campaigning against a perceived CRL-driven threat to religious freedoms.
At a recent religious freedom Imbizo in Cape Town Dr Zweli Mkhize chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, which oversees the CRL Rights Committee acknowledged the concerns of opponents to the Section 22 Committee process and assured them the CRL does not have a mandate to create legislation.
While welcoming Mkhize’s assurances, Freedom of Religion South Africa executive director Michael Swain said the Section 22 Committee’s governing documents still propose compulsory registration of churches, a public register and sanctions.
The host of the religious freedom imbizo, Bishop Templeton Mbekwa, who heads the African Religious and Traditional Leaders Council, told Gateway News that they expect that Mkhize will call a follow-up meeting soon with religious and other leaders opposed to state control of religion.
In yesterday’s statement the ANC said it shares a profound historical relationship with the church and that earlier this year national officials of the party had met with the leadership of the SACD on matters of mutual interest and concern.
The statement says: “The constitutional right to freedom of religion, belief and association is a fundamental democratic gain secured through the sacrifices of generations of South Africans as led by the ANC. It must be protected and respected, while ensuring that religious institutions uphold the rights, dignity and wellbeing of all people.The ANC respects the concerns raised by SACD and remains committed to constructive engagement with the organisation and the broader religious community to ensure that these matters are addressed through dialogue, mutual respect and fidelity to the Constitution.
“We remain unshakable in our defence of the constitutional rights and freedoms of all religious communities, including religious minorities. Freedom of religion, belief and association constitutes an indispensable pillar of our constitutional democracy and is firmly entrenched in the Bill of Rights.”
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