WCC NEWS: South African Council of Churches appeals for calm in the midst of looting

A 12 July statement from the South African Council of Churches notes with deep concern the violence and destruction of property that is engulfing the nation. “This violence is resulting in untold suffering,” the statement reads. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 13 July 2021 The statement also notes that violence in many cases has been sparked by recent court decisions related to former president Jacob Zuma. The right to protest must be exercised with responsibility, the statement notes. “What do we see?” the statement asks. “We learn that many of the trucks that were destroyed at Mooi River, are owned by black entrepreneurs who have now lost everything and all the livelihoods that depend on that industry will go to destitution and may not be able to get out of debt.” The message urgently appeals for an end to the violent protests spilling into criminal acts of wanton vandalism and looting that should not be sustained in a constitutional democracy. “The destruction we are witnessing will have far-reaching and long-lasting impacts,” continues the message. “It is a state of civil anarchy and mayhem that cannot and should not be tolerated.” The message also commends the police for their restraint in handling the vandalism under extreme provocation and physical threats. “As policing is totally overwhelmed and the military step in to curb the destruction, we may yet again face a different challenge of the potential militarisation of our society with regrettable outcomes,” the statement reads. “We must reverse this and stay at home!”  Rev. Frank Chikane, moderator of the World Council of Churches Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, said that the constitutional democracy in South Africa has been put to a test in the last few months. “There are also those who abused their positions of authority to loot the resources of the state to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor,” he said. “They also acted outside the law and the constitution.” The criminal violence South Africa is experiencing was triggered by those who want to destabilize the country to ensure that they do not go to jail for their malfeasance and acts of criminality, Chikane added. “Unfortunately they have opportunistically taken advantage of the levels of unemployment (especially of the youth) and poverty to achieve this objective,” he said. “The churches together with civil society entities are doing whatever they can to intervene in this situation.” Chikane called on the global ecumenical fellowship to join in prayer for the leadership of the country to find solutions to the crisis. “Pray with us to pass this test of our constitutional democracy to secure the future of the country,” he said. “At the end, the challenge will remain that of transforming the economy in a way that will better the conditions of lives of the poor and unemployed to ensure that no one can ever take advantage of them." Read the full statement of the South African Council of Churches WCC member churches in South Africa See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland