DURBAN - The days of religious leaders being a law unto themselves are numbered as the proposal for legislation to regulate faith-based organisations will be heard in Parliament in June.
This comes after the finalisation of the report on the commercialisation of religion and the abuse of people’s belief systems, which was compiled by the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) following their countrywide investigation, which started in August 2015.
Commission chairperson Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said the analysis of the public’s complaints and interviews with pastors from different religious groups revealed that some of the leaders in the sector were not only taking advantage of the loopholes in the law, but also abusing it.
“We are not disputing that there are still some good religious leaders out there, but as a country we are also faced with the challenge of people who run churches like family businesses and no one questions them about how the church’s money is being spent,” she said.
“We also have those who abuse their power and make congregants do all sort of things like drinking petrol and eating snakes.
“We can’t have things like that happening but they will continue if the industry remains unregulated.”
The commission was set up to gain some understanding on why people allowed bizarre practices and what caused them to believe in them, “to the extent of inexplicable gullibility”.
“There is prima facie evidence of commercialisation of religion. We heard of many examples where people were expected to pay substantial amounts of money before blessings and prayers could be said for them.
“Blessed water and oils are sold to congregants at a high, marked-up price. Access to the spiritual leader or traditional healer is only guaranteed by payment of a fixed amount of money,” it reads.
When the commission appears before Parliament, Mkhwanazi-Xaluva and her team will present its proposal for the establishment of a regulatory framework for religious institutions.
“As part of this regulation, the commission wants a peer-review committee to be established, which will hold those going against the rules accountable to clamp down on bogus pastors.
Those intending to operate a place of worship would be required to follow processes, which included training and mentoring as well obtaining a licence.
“The peer review committee will operate like those you get for professionals such as doctors and lawyers; so if you bring the industry into disrepute, your licence will be taken away from you.”
Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said the proposal has been met with resistance from some church leaders who feel that the law should not apply to matters of faith.
According to the report, insults and death threats were the norm, and in certain instances, the chairperson of the CRL Rights Commission was even called a devil worshipper, a satanist and even the devil’s girlfriend.