Special Hearings — Faith Community Hearings — 1997-11-17

CHAIRPERSON: Excuse me, the total time allocated to this submission is 45 minutes   and you have taken 20, and that includes having Xhosa.

MS B BAM: Thank you very much. I was just on the last part of the weaknesses,   where we were not at our strongest. As a result of the lack of planning and   strategy, we were caught totally unprepared as SACC, for the change. We were   not aware that apartheid would come to and end so very quickly. I think finally   to say that we were not able to document a lot of very, very important events,   the case studies and people's experiences, which we now feel is very much needed   as we begin to talk about the history of the SACC. Finally to say as SACC we   are committed to working for the healing of the nation, but we do know that   there can never be reconciliation in this country without justice. That there   can never be reconciliation in South Africa when we have so many people who   are poor, without homes. That there can never be reconciliation in our country   as long as those who have are not prepared to share with those who have nothing.   And I think that this is a challenge to us as a church. That we do not only   expect people to forgive, but that those who have must share what they have   with the poor. We have really made a commitment, our option is for the poor   and we remain committed to the prophetic word, and to the moral reconstruction   of this nation. Thank you very much sir.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very, very much. We are deeply grateful for taking us   in such a, I was going to say masterly fashion, but now I don't know what is   the appropriate term, in this skilful way. Giving us such a wonderful overview.   Thank you very, very much. Now you are saying that Bernard is going to - yes   please.

MR BERNARD SPONG: Thank you for the opportunity, sir. Obviously I just want   to talk a little about communication, which was one of the strengths and one   of the great weaknesses of course, of the Council of Churches. There was the   whole disinformation and misinformation campaign that went on by the government.   There's the way in which that forced the SACC to become an information centre   in itself, in the establishment of the press agency. Trying to tell the world   what was happening. And it may be that one of the things that happened with   the Council of Churches was that we gave so much information to the rest of   the world that somehow or other there were people in the country who were not   knowing what the Council was about. Okay, we had many things that obstructed   this information. We had the obstruction of course of the fact that the mass   media was not open to the churches, the Council of Churches' churches. We had   the opposition in some ways, in some of the churches, so that the messages couldn't   get down to grass roots, and what eventually happened was that the communication   network became a communication network more of individuals in many ways. Sir,   I don't know, I mean I look at this row of people and think how strange it is   to be talking about the SACC, but I wonder whether you would agree with my assessment,   but in many ways there was a contradiction in the name and activities. That   the Council of Churches was a Council of Churches as one level in that the leaders   and representatives of the churches made the decisions, but in fact the action   was by individuals from those churches who were actually committed to the cause   and the struggle against apartheid and were prepared to make that stand.
That network of communication that stretched overseas brought us many, many   partners. People that we would want to publicly to express gratitude to, as   I know you would, sir. The people who supported us at the Eloff Commission.   The people who would support us by their postcards and their odd words that   would flood into Khotso House at various times. It was that network, it was   a national network of communication, and finally, sir, one of the things that   I would like to say, because I believe that this relates to the future of the   work of the communication of the Council and the churches. Because the churches   have a network which reaches into every corner of this country, the churches   have been able through the years to know the vibe of the country; where people   are, and been able to speak this out. And let us hope to God that the present   government is going to have ears to hear, in a way that the past one didn't.   I think of two instances, sir, I think of your own letter in 1976 to the then   Prime Minister, about the situation in Soweto and how many lives could have   been saved. What could have happened in our country if only there had been ears   to hear, and eyes to see at that time? And the other one is of course the Bisho   massacre. Reverend Finca was very much involved with Frank Chikane in pleading   with those who were concerned, saying "we know what the situation is, we   know what can happen" and then had to see that bloody carnage that happened   at that time. The churches are in touch. The churches need to realise that they   are in touch and need to realise the responsibility of being in touch, to put   that message to the authorities and to the people of the land. I thank you sir.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very, very much. We are very deeply grateful to all   of you and to the many others who you represent as you sit there. There are   so many who were involved with you and we can see the hand of God in all of   what happened. Even in the most awful things. Now we see that we needed to remember   that wonderful thing in Revelations in the fullness of time. In the fullness   of time, the things of God happen. Thank you.

KHOZA MGOJO: Thank you very much for your input, which has been done very well.   There is just one question I want to put to you. It was very clear during the   time of the struggle that there was the SACC on the other side, fighting for   the liberation of the people. We had the government on the other side, fighting   the retention of apartheid. Now we have moved into a new era with the people   who have been our partners. We know that the SACC has been partners with the   liberation movements and the government we have now is made up of those people   who were partners when we were fighting for the freedom of this country. What   attitude is going to be taken by the SACC in dealing with the new government?   You have spoken about the prophetic ministry etc. Is there any change in the   direction of the SACC when dealing with this government?
MS B.