ACDP leader Meshoe calls on Ramaphosa to declare churches an essential service

African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) leader Kenneth Meshoe has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare churches an essential service and be granted the right to minister to the “spiritual, psychological, emotional and physical needs of their members and community”.

Speaker on Power FM on Friday, Meshoe said churches have been helping the poor for decades and should be allowed to continue serving their mandate during the lockdown.

“Government should recognise something that has been happening for decades. The fact is, some churches have been involved in education, feeding schemes and running hospitals. We are saying churches have been involved, even before we were born, in helping the poor, so that is an essential service.

“We’re not saying everyone; we mean everyone who has been registered at NPOs. Let them be allowed with distribution programmes because even the president said government does not have capacity to perform food distribution.”

He further complained about the “red tape” and “bureaucracy” that has been hindering some churches from helping the poor.

“Some pastors have been complaining that they’ve been waiting for more than three weeks to get their permit because those processing them don’t see the church as an essential service. If the president can declare the churches an essential service, the process will be quicker.”

Meshoe had earlier tested positive for Covid-19 after attending a religious gathering in Bloemfontein, which was also attended by five international guests who later tested positive for coronavirus. He “recovered” without apparently once feeling a single symptom or ill effect.

The party has started a petition which has more than 28,000 signatures.

(Compiled by Vhahangwele Nemakonde)

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