More than 800 delegates attended a historic, national summit of religious leaders at Rhema Church, Randburg, yesterday to address the need for a self-regulation process to prevent religious abuses. The vast majority of the leaders represented the Christian church, with most of the major denominations, independent and indigenous structures well […]
Tag: regulation of religion
Bill seeking to regulate churches raises emotions in Ugandan parliament
Originally published in UG Christian News A section of Ugandan legislators on Wednesday took a firm stand against a request to grant Hon John Baptist Nambeshe (NRM, Manjiya County, Bududa) leave to introduce a bill aimed at regulating religious and faith organisations in Uganda. Hon Nambeshe said the bill, entitled […]
Concerns about inclusivity and timing of proposed religious summit
Freedom of Religion SA (FOR SA) is concerned that key churches, denominations and religious organisations have been excluded from the process of arranging a proposed national religious summit on February 13 next year. “FOR SA has always called for, and supported, a broadly representative and inclusive process whereby the religious community […]
Summit will focus on self-regulation of religion
Religious leaders will participate in a summit on February 13 next year as part of a self-regulation process aimed at preventing religious abuses. This was announced by Pastor Ray McCauley, president of Rhema Church and co-chair of the National Religious Council at a meeting of religious leaders in Johannesburg of […]
Uganda’s new policy requires all pastors to obtain theological training
Originally published in UG Christian News The Ugandan government is set to implement a new policy that will require all preachers in the country to have theological training before opening up a church. According to the Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Fr Simon Lokodo who says some Church leaders are […]
CRL overreaching mandate, say Nelson Mandela Bay church leaders
The CRL Rights Commission should remember that its mandate is to protect the freedom of religious communities in South Africa and not to regulate them, says the Nelson Mandela Bay Church Leaders Network. The church leaders say, in an open letter, that they are deeply concerned about “what appears to […]
International Religious Freedom Day: opportunity to take stock
October 27 marks International Religious Freedom Day, which is designed to highlight Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This fundamental human right was confirmed by the UN Human Rights Committee in its General Comment No 22, as follows: “The right to freedom of thought, […]
Churches urged to embrace self-regulation process
With fresh calls for the regulation of churches, inspired by the harrowing rape trial in Port Elizabeth involving Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso, we publish an article by Pastor Ray McCauley who says he is heading up a process aimed at achieving regulation of religion by church and religious leaders. The […]
Parliamentary committee challenges CRL on ‘reckless’ statements
By Freedom of Religion SA Media statements by the chairperson of the CRL Rights Commission, Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, claiming that parliament should answer for the Ngcobo shootings and that lives could have been saved if parliament had acted sooner, were challenged today by the COGTA Parliamentary Portfolio Committee. At a briefing meeting […]
‘Cult killings might have been averted if CRL had alerted police’
The recent cult killings in Ngcobo could potentially have been averted, had the CRL Rights Commission reported their concerns to the law enforcement agencies in 2016, says Freedom of Religion South Africa (FOR SA) in a media release today. Responding to reports that the CRL says the tragedy could have been […]

