Newsflashes Archives - Page 5 of 7 - AFM South Africa
Newsflash: Friday, 24 August
24 August ENG
1. CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
I think you are all aware of the investigation by and recommendations of the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (referred to as CRL) on the commercialization of Religion.
The position which was taken by the AFM of SA was that there should be no state regulation of religious groups. We advocated for self-regulation. Our position was based on two grounds, namely that there are enough laws in the country to curb commercialization of religion and of course the fact that the country’s constitution provides for freedom of religion. State regulation would undermine this freedom.
Parliament’s Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Portfolio did not accept the CRL recommendations. They felt that state regulation of religious organizations would be unconstitutional. However, having these, it is a matter of concern that religious abuse is experienced in some quarters. Examples hereof are sexual abuses and religious malpractices which are subjects of public discourse.
It is for this reason that we agree with a broad code of conduct for Religious organizations as proposed by the South African Council for Religious Rights and Freedoms (CRRF). Unfortunately, we did not receive the first draft of the proposed code from CRRF. We, however, received the second draft. The NLF (National Leadership Forum) members were requested to make inputs. After receiving these inputs our General Secretary forwarded our position to the CRRF.
The underlined words and phrases indicate adjustments to the first draft while words and phrases in red fonts are AFM inputs. I have also included the letter dated 30 July 2018 from Dr Henri Weideman, our General Secretary to the Secretary of CRRF with further remarks from our side. These documents can be downloaded here:
Proposed Code of Conduct for Religions in South-Africa 2
Letter to SA Council for Religious Rights and Freedoms (003)
This is one of the emotional issues currently in the public domain. The AFM made its submission to the Parliamentary Committee that acts on this matter. In our submission we requested for an opportunity to also do oral submission.
We have been granted an opportunity to do the oral submission in Parliament on 5 September 2018. To this end we solicit your prayers. We will also appreciate your further inputs to the written submission that we made earlier. This submission is available from:
Further inputs can be mailed to:
3. AFM GENERAL BUSINESS MEETING (GBM) & NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Nuusflits: Vrydag, 24 Augustus
24 Augustus AFR
1. GEDRAGSKODE VIR GODSDIENSTIGE ORGANISASIES
Aangaande die kommersialisering van godsdiens, dink ek almal van ons is bewus van die ondersoek en aanbevelings van die Kommissie vir die Bevordering en Beskerming van die Regte van Kulturele, Godsdienstige en Taalgemeenskappe (waarna verwys word as die CRL – “Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities”).
Die AGS van SA het die posisie ingeneem dat daar geen staatsregulering van godsdienstige groepe behoort te wees nie. Ons bepleit selfregulering. Ons baseer ons posisie op 2 gronde, naamlik dat daar genoeg wette in die land is om kommersialisering van godsdiens te stuit en natuurlik die feit dat die land se konstitusie voorsien vir vryheid van godsdiens. Staatsregulering ondermyn hierdie vryheid.
Die Parlement se Koöperatiewe Bestuurs- en Tradisionale Sake se Portefeulje het nie die aanbevelings van die CRL aanvaar nie. Hulle het gevoel dat staatsregulering van godsdienstige organisasies ongrondwetlik sal wees. Nietemin is dit ‘n bekommernis dat godsdienstige misbruik ervaar word in sommige kwartiere. Voorbeelde hiervan is seksuele misbruik en godsdienstige wanpraktyke wat nou die onderwerpe van openbare diskoers is.
Dit is om hierdie rede dat ons ingestem het tot ‘n breë gedragskode vir godsdienstige organisasies soos voorgestel deur die Suid-Afrikaanse Raad vir Godsdienstige Regte en Vryhede (“South African Council for Religious Rights and Freedoms” – CRRF). Ongelukkig het ons nie die eerste weergawe van die voorgestelde gedragskode vanaf die CRRF ontvang nie. Ons het egter die tweede weergawe ontvang. Die Lede van die NLF (Nasionale Leierskap Forum) is gevra om insette te lewer. Nadat hierdie insette ontvang is het ons Algemene Sekretaris dit aangestuur na die CRRF.
Die onderstreepte woorde en frasies dui die verandering aan die eerste weergawe aan terwyl woorde en frases in rooi die AGS se insette aandui. Ek sluit ook ‘n brief in wat gedateer is 30 Julie 2018 vanaf ons Algemene Sekretaris, Dr Henri Weideman, aan die Sekretaris van die CRRF met verdere opmerkings vanaf ons kant. Hierdie dokumente kan hier afgelaai word:
2. GRONDONTEIENING SONDER VERGOEDING
Hierdie is ‘n emosionele kwessie wat tans in die publieke domein is. Die AGS het ‘n voorlegging gelewer aan die Parlementêre Komitee wat die kwessie hanteer. In ons voorlegging het ons ook die geleentheid om ‘n mondelinge voorlegging te maak versoek. Ons word die geleentheid gegun om op 5 September 2018 ‘n mondelinge voorlegging te lewer. Vir hierdie doel vra ons jou gebede. Ons sal ook verdere insette waardeer wat bydra tot ons geskrewe voorlegging wat ons vroeër gemaak het. Hierdie voorlegging is beskikbaar by die volgende skakel:
Verdere insette kan ge-epos word aan:
3. AGS ALGEMENE BESIGHEIDSVERGADERING (GBM) EN NASIONALE KONFERENSIE