South African Christian News: Telling the God Stories of Africa
A Canadian pastor who was arrested and held in custody in Canada for violating Covid-19 restrictions by holding in-person services has been released. James Coates of GraceLife Church has been fined $1 500 (R17 800), a reduced penalty as a result of the 35 days he spent in jail. He […]
This week Gateway News received an email with the subject “Letter to the editor — Parishioners against church lockdowns”. I read the letter, which points out illogicalities in lockdown regulations regarding church gatherings and raises questions on appropriate church responses to the rules. We have previously reported on responses to […]
Religious leaders on Wednesday night called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to open up religious gatherings to 50% of the capacity of venues, says Advocate Nadene Badenhorst, legal counsel of Freedom of Religion South Africa (FOR SA) in a video report back. Badenhorst said the gathering, called by the president ahead […]
While government has eased restrictions on religious gatherings there remain in-principle reasons for pursuing a court case that was instituted against the state in January, says Advocate Nadene Badenhorst legal counsel to Freedom of Religion South Africa (FOR SA). In a video [see at bottom of the page] response to […]
Originally published in IOL News Religious leaders want more people than the legislated 100 to be allowed to attend church services during alert level 1 of the lockdown. On Monday, some of them accused the government of being unfair towards churches by not allowing them an attendance of at least […]
Religious organisations called off an urgent application in the Johannesburg High Court today over an indefinite ban on faith-based gatherings after President Cyril Ramaphosa granted them some relief when he announced amendments to lockdown regulations last night. But while they welcomed the amendments which now permit gatherings at “faith-based” organisations […]
Call for church ministers to get priority vaccination Freedom of Religion South Africa (FOR SA) on Monday issued papers in the Johannesburg High Court to ask that government’s current and indefinite ban on faith-based gatherings be lifted. And on the same day the South African Council of Churches (SACC) sent […]
Cape Town church leaders Demitiri and Karen Nikiforos have launched a petition calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to reopen churches in South Africa. In an email to Gateway News Demitiri who leads New Life in Christ Church in Cape Town says the petition campaign aims to unite with Christians and […]
Legal opposition to government pandemic regulations, which amount to an indefinite blanket ban of all religious gatherings in South Africa, is mounting. Last Friday the South African National Christian Forum (SANCF), which represents a number of churches in townships and informal settlements, filed an urgent application with the Johannesburg High […]
Bid seen to use plague as cover to regulate Uganda faith community Following the full-blown spread of COVID-19 early this year several governments imposed measures to curb the virus — the most common being general shutting down of economies, commonly referred to as lockdown. In Uganda the lockdown was imposed […]