Durban March: Church leaders oppose state control of religion, CRL committee

Hundreds of people gathered in Durban on Thursday for the march organised by the SA Church Defenders group. Hundreds of religious leaders and congregants, led by the South African Church Defenders (SACD), brought parts of the Durban CBD to a standstill today. of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (known as the CRL Starting at King Dinuzulu Park and ending at City Hall, the marchers voiced their opposition to the committee’s proposed framework which they believe will lead to the compulsory licensing of pastors and the vetting of new churches.

Addressing the crowd, the chairperson of the SA Church Defenders Pastor Makhuba stated that the mobilisation was a sign of a “rising” and “powerful” church that would no longer remain silent. Makhuba argued that the CRL Rights Commission has become the biggest threat to the “great commission of the Lord Jesus Christ.” The ACDP is among the organisations that supported the march which raised its opposition to the actions of the CRL Rights Commission. The SACD expressed fears that South Africa could mirror the situations in Rwanda and Angola, where thousands of churches have reportedly been closed or subjected to strict registration requirements for registration.

They argued that the CRL Rights Commission chairperson, Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, is pushing for laws that would allow the state to determine who is “fit to be a pastor.” The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) has also thrown its weight behind the movement. Pastor Wayne Thring, Deputy President of the ACDP, argued that the CRL’s current trajectory is “diametrically opposed” to the Bill of Rights.