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

DR MOKWEBO: Chairperson, we appreciate as the Blydende Kring, to have this   opportunity to make this submission, even so late and we are not in uniform.   We appreciate the possibility and opportunity afforded us to make the submission.   We are going to try to on the one hand, speak to our submission by highlighting   some areas which we feel need to be highlighted, maybe others we will not be   able to elaborately go into as a result of the fact that you have a our faxed   submission before you. 
The Belydende Kring was formerly called the Broeder Kring and established in   1974 in Bloemfontein in Mangaung. An organisation that worked primarily and   exclusively targeting the Dutch Reformed Church family which was consisting   of the four racially divided churches the NG Kerk which was formerly for whites   only; the NG Sending Kerk, which was established for coloureds only; the NG   Kerk in Afrika, which was for Indians; and the Reformed Church in Afrika, which   was for Indians. An organisation ...[inaudible] from within all the racially   divided churches who had experienced that these churches were based on a biblical,   astrological justification of apartheid as the will of God for South Africa,   propounded by the NG Kerk which was called the Moeder Kerk and others were called   the daughter churches. These individuals were critical of that system. They   spoke out - remember the days of Dr Alan Boesak who was also a member and some   point the chairperson of our organisation, and many others who spoke out very   clearly opposing that system, outside the churches, but also inside the churches,   went to meetings with the NG Kerk and all our churches, spoke to the grassroots   in the churches, had meetings with women's organisations to try to indicate   that this situation which we found ourselves in wherein we were experiencing   also suspicion from our communities by being called the church of Amabulu. There   is still that kind of hostile attitude and we had to indicate that we are not   the church of Amabulu, secondly that the white church, NG Church is not speaking   for us.
That is why we build our church buildings, our resources in both our skills   and also our buildings to make sure that we rebut apartheid theology, as was   manifest in the mission theology that led to the establishment of all these   churches. The experience of most of our members was also that the black churches,   other churches, were also held hostage psychologically and financially by the   "Moeder Kerk" so that for those critical in both the white church   and the other churches, the experience of being left vulnerable and exposed   to the activity of security force officials, some of whom came from ranks of   elders in the NG Kerk. Some of the experiences made by members of the BK because   of this kind of stance included among other things, as we have said, being ostracised   by both the church and the people. In the NG Kerk, you were called a traitor   because you were betraying the Volk. People like Beyers Naude. Remember a person   like Reverend Conradie who died under mysterious circumstances and we hope the   commission will help us unravel the way that he passed away. But he was seen   increasingly, also by his family, as somebody betraying the Afrikaner Volk by   having been a member of a black church or organisation. 
And those in the these churches were seen as bringing suffering by being a   member, that's most critical, against apartheid. In this situation, Chairperson,   the BK provided a haven where people who were suffering because of their stand,   found a home. And we built a very wonderful community of people across the divide   of racial lines who began trusting each other, supporting each other both financially   and in a human way. We went to families and we've got families and people with   whom we are in communion because we believe that the unity struggle which we   waged should also ...[inaudible] and the pains of becoming one should such be   experienced by us if we have to preach it out and live it out. 
Therefore we faced ostracism from the official churches, both daughter and   mother church. Some of our members experienced society cutbacks from such ministers   and this led to the division of congregations and division of parishes to exert   pressure and create a climate where such ministers would be ousted out by the   congregation for being either political, highly suspect or undesirable in both   the church and society. Our churches were planted with informers when we were   preaching to make sure that such ministers or lay-members who were preaching   also in our churches, would be highly suspect and being not accepted within   the congregations. Yes some of us faced harassment, physical and psychological   torture, intimidation, imprisonment of such people who were critical of the   system in the churches. And the sad thing was that the society had believed   in the membership of our churches. Critical thinking was dangerous and that   to be Christian means to be submissive and obedient and quiet. A sad fact is   that we have also division, which meant that some ministers were also allowed   to participate for instance in the public media. Some NG Kerk and Afrikaans   ministers were allowed to preach on the radio. Others were not allowed because   we were critical and there were structures in church to make sure that this   doesn't happen. And there were many of our brothers and sisters who were in   these structures and this division with a lot of suspicion and lack of acceptance,   to make sure that this theology propounded by the NG Kerk be maintained also   in the church and also by our church. Radio sermons and programmes on anti-communism   were propounded from these groups, also within our church and those people who   were not saying this were left out and branded as being communist and therefore   to be fought against and be highly suspected. The integrity and credibility   of critical persons, as I say, was highly suspect, seen to be dangerous, as   communist. Especially by some missionary elements who belonged to the Broederbond. 
Chairperson, we need to pause here to plead with the commission, because this   strange marriage between the Broederbond and the NG Kerk needs to be also opened   up. I am saying this because in one of the meetings in Bloemfontein in 1993,   the late Professor Heyns mentioned in the meeting that had it not been for the   Broederbond, the question of the new dispensation, the question of the liberation   of our struggle would not have seen the kind of dimensions which are happening.   Therefore we plead that the full truth about what happened, and why, would be   disclosed. The commission to look into the questions of finding the way of the   Broederbond and its members in this time. Opening it up and telling us what   happened.
As far as missionaries and mission theology was concerned, in the experience   of many in our constituencies, these missionaries represented the NG Kerk theology   launching pads and strongholds, both within the life and work of church and   theological training of our churches. We need to say this, Chairperson, because   many mission stations were used as operation points for the military, for planning,   for meetings of the generals of the SADF. We have many stories about this that   can be told, Chairperson, and it would be very interesting if we can find a   way of opening up this point and have it be known by our community in South   Africa. The mission theology also represented economic impoverishment of the   black churches, because whilst much funding was given in the names of missions,   it only ended up in the pockets of the missionaries. Some even had inconvenience   allowances for serving in the black institutions. This also was one of the things   which we as members of the BK experienced from our own churches. Because whilst   our churches made very relevant and critical decisions, it was also being held   hostage by the theological and financial grip of the NG Kerk. Many of them would   not implement those decisions. We have heard here about how churches pride themselves   in terms of making good decisions, but not turned them out complementing them.   We took it upon ourselves as members of the churches and organisations to try   out and implement some of these decisions and therefore our goals include, among   other things Chairperson, to organise for an organic church unity starting from   the grassroots in congregations up to the whole structure of a church to that   level. To embark on a priestly ministry to the victims of apartheid. Many of   our people who were victims in this whole structure - we had to have prayer   meetings, visit them, support their families, during this time to make sure   that they don't feel left alone and vulnerable to the activities of the police,   as in many cases it happened. To pledge solidarity with all organisations who   share the same visions and goal with us. That's why we became members of so   many organisations. The SACC, the SAT, Abreksa, Christian Institution - precisely   because of our commitment of the fact that we felt by doing that we would be   able to give form and programmes and participation in solidarity to our goals.
We also had some problems, specifically to address this situation, Chairperson.   We had a fund which we called the ...[inaudible] Support Fund, out of which   we helped families and ministers who salaries were cut by the NG Kerk because   of their stance. Our issue was not simply just to help them, but to support   the kind of witness we stood for as ministers, as lay people in these congregations.   This fund was transferred to the new United Church, before we became one. As   one of the programmes that was needed to assist the church that in its unification,   they must be able to address the question of poverty and the poor congregations   and try to break the dependant umbilical cord on the white NG Kerk. We also   had a programme to empower women, which is called the BK Women's Programme,   through which the question of gender was discussed and in any way, that's how   we changed the name from Broeder Kring to Belydende Kring, because in 1983 in   Free Town in Johannesburg, the women constituents of our membership challenged   us so critically about the sensitivity about women's issues to a point when   we even felt that even the name that we carry, we could not continue to be Broeders.   But we were also being confused with the Broederbond, and that was used against   us as being people who are not honest in terms of secrecy, having secret meetings   and so on. So we had to change our name from being Broeder Kring to Belydende   Kring. We also had a scholarship and bursary programme. On this one, Chairperson,   I would say that our experience has been that as a black church and other churches,   with all the amount of money that was used for our training, for the past -   since 1908 - until 1980 or 1988, we never saw any production of meaningful leadership   in our churches, through the assistance of the white churches. But when we started   this whole scholarship programme, we were able to produce more than 20 people   with PHD's who have leadership and skills for our churches. Unfortunately some   of them were not accepted by our churches, because they were regarded as having   been trained abroad in America and imbibed the spirit of freedom and liberation   theology. But this ...[inaudible] to our church and churches and our community   and most of these people are holding very important and senior positions in   the life of our church and also our society.
We wish to point out, Chairperson, that we are very disappointed that the situation   of the NG Kerk as a submission of this statement, according to us has not changed   much. In the publication of the document "Op reis met Apartheid" does   not move the NG Kerk towards the kind of confession that would facilitate church   unity with forgiveness and reconciliation and enable to facilitate it. We are   saying this, specifically Chairperson, because presently in the Free State and   Northern Cape there is a lot of dissent, a lot of struggle between the former   NG Kerk and ...[inaudible]. And this struggle to accept unity is traceable to   some professors, some ministers and some farmers in the Free State of the NG   Kerk who are ...[indistinct] this initiative of unification. Victimisation of   congregations continues and ministers and general chaos and destruction of congregational   property still continues in this whole struggle and therefore in a certain sense,   we as an organisation are still not yet over this question of being one. We   are still ...[inaudible] the struggle. Where apartheid still rides in our church   and our people are every Sunday, we work closely with ...[inaudible] of our   church to make sure that the input and the resources that are available outside   of the churches were made available also to our churches.
In conclusion Chairperson, whilst we appreciate the opportunity afforded us   by the TRC to make this submission, we wish to point out the following
The continual denial of the NG Kerk to officially make a submission to the   TRC holds hostage many Afrikaner civilians trapped in apartheid. So the point   that we want to make is the official denial of the NG Kerk to officially make   a submission to the TRC holds many Afrikaners hostage and the TRC as a form   of confession as is pregnant with controversy. Whilst also the TRC is a judicial   Commission, we wish to put on record that as far as NG Kerk is concerned, it   is not primarily the physical implementation of the apartheid that constituted   a gross violation of human rights, but the belief system, the theology, the   religion that created the conditions where many perpetrators could operate with   innocence, with joy, needs to be castigated. Even where no physical injury or   torture could be measured or claimed to have occurred. We wish to point out   also that reconciliation in our understanding and belief is costly, because   it requires justice to be done and be seen to be done. Confessions of truth   done with no sense of guilt, feeling, remorse and apology, with intent not to   repeat these wounds, sounds very hollow and does not seem healing to both perpetrator   and victim. Indeed we look forward to the day when our ...[inaudible] will indeed   be seen to be seeking for justice and justice alone to be done.
In this light therefore we wish to recommend to the TRC that most of our members   have suffered humiliation and - when they visited funerals and weddings of people   who dying or dead in the NG Kerk and they were left out, they were cast out   to sit at the back seat. We think that the NG Kerk owes an apology for this   kind of treatment even to our members and also members of our communities in   the Black Dutch Reformed Church. The TRCNG Kerk confesses to having created   a climate and conditions that made it possible for people to do the heinous   deeds they did without any due regard for a life of the victims they victimised.   And in conclusion Chairperson, that the TRC recommends that the present process   of Land Reform and Restitution and Reparation, those are critically focused   on the NG Kerk with possible intentions of symbolically compensating many families   of ministers and lay people who have been victimised in terms of salaries and   pensions as a result of NG Kerk actions as policies as we have mentioned about. 
We deem it would be in the interest of the TRC process so the nation can hear   some of the stories that need to be heard at some stage, if it is possible,   but these stories abound of people who refused to be at the mercy of the NG   Kerk for all during this time.
God Bless Africa, guide our leaders, guard our children and give us peace with   justice. Thank you Chairperson.