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

CHAIRPERSON: Welcome and Dr Mgojo is going to be leading you, but I presume   that you have a statement that you want to read.

MS B BAM: Not sir, I will speak to the statement, because it is too long.

CHAIRPERSON: Oh, you are so wonderful. Thank you very much. Yes.

MS B BAM: But I'll use the same time set that you have allocated to us.

CHAIRPERSON: Of course, of course, of course.
MS S.

MS B BAM: Thank you very much. I would like to congratulate the planners through   you for putting me first to speak. I think this is a change of the tradition   of the church. But I would also like to remind the committee's planners that   we are told that the first human being was in Africa and originated from South   Africa, and it was a black woman that brought the whole humanity to its being,   so it's not surprising that I am the first person to speak. It would also like   to introduce the team, sir that is going to help me to do the presentation and   answer questions. On my left is Eddie MacKew, who is the director of our justice   ministries, and the next is Reverend Bernard Spong, who is our veteran in media   and communication and on the extreme left is Lulama Ntshingwa, who is our organising   secretary for this province, the Eastern Cape. I would like to say that I stand   in line of great leadership in this position I hold of outstanding people who   were the general secretaries of the South African Council of Churches before   me. In the name of Archbishop Bill Bernard, John Reece and you sir, Archbishop   Desmond Tutu, Dr Beyers Naude and the Reverend Frank Chikane. In fact, I had   hoped that all of you would be the ones doing this submission as you were part   of that history, and unfortunately because of the position you are now holding   as Chairman of this, you are not able to do so. But I would also like, with   your permission, to pay tribute to all the members of this panel. Without exception   today, all the people who are sitting on this panel have been part of the South   African Council of Churches, have made a contribution as individuals and have   made a contribution as members of their various organisations. I would like   to recognise them and say that the very reason they are members of this panel   is because they contributed to the work of the South African Council of Churches   and to the ecumenical movement in general. But to say, sir, as well, there are   people in this audience, many people who I cannot mention by name and I will   be speaking on their behalf, because the Council of Churches consists of twenty   three members churches, of which three are observer members, and all of them   are represented here. And so we are part of that tradition. There are many courageous   people, sir, who have contributed to this. I cannot mention all of them, but   our submission gives you the detailed names of these people. But I want to mention   by name people like Reverend Calatha, Reverend Gawa, who were in this province   in the early days whereas people of the church and as church leaders took the   leadership of the African National Congress and people like Huddleston, Breytenbach,   Desmond and many more others. I would like us to remember today, as we make   this submission, our colleagues and I am sure that they will be mentioned by   Bishop Michael or Victor Africanda, S. Sothetsi and Delisa Matshoba ...[inaudible].
Thank you very much sir. The SACC has been in operation for twenty seven years,   but it is important for us to note that even before 1968, when it was founded,   there were some activities that had taken place, and some statements that the   churches had made and I think that we have indicated that in our submission   and we have made reference to those specific things that have been done. I want   to mention just a few, and one of them being the important ecumenical conference   of ...[inaudible].

CHAIRPERSON: It may be that there are people who are wanting translation. We   have wonderful people sitting over there in case you want a translation or interpretation   in heavenly languages. There are different heavenly languages, depending on   who is speaking them. Please, if you do have a problem, just raise your hand   and they will then supply you with one of these contraptions. Thank you.