The end is nigh for fake pastors
An umbrella body must be established to monitor the conduct of this so-called churches.
The end is in sight for fake pastors and bogus churches in the country, the CLR commission said this week.
In its report released on Tuesday, the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural‚ Religious and Linguistic Communities said the commercialisation of religion and abuse of belief systems had to end.
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It further called on parliament to urgently implement its recommendations.
The commission recommended that the religious sector be regulated with a threat of prosecution for unregistered religious leaders.
Commission chairperson Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said an umbrella body must be established to monitor the conduct of the so-called churches.
“For us to take the licence away from you, you should have one. Otherwise, how are we going to stop you when you do unusual things?
“Every worship centre and practitioner must be registered with an umbrella organisation.”
She said that these institutions would be accredited by the commission to ensure that religious leaders were thoroughly scrutinised.
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Several pastors have made headlines in recent months for using unconventional methods, such as feeding congregants snakes, petrol and grass.
The commission warned people’s lives were imperiled if religious practitioners were not regulated.
It said some legislative amendments were required in order to ensure that religious practices were in line with the law.
It recommended that every registered religious leader should have a location where they conducted religious ceremonies, and this could be churches‚ homes‚ mosques‚ temples‚ mountains‚ open fields and tents.
The commission presented its report to parliament last week following its investigation into the “commercialisation of religion and abuse of people’s belief systems”.
The commission undertook this investigation following media reports about instances in places of religious worship when the lives of congregants were put in danger.
According to the recommendations‚ each worship centre should form peer-review committees for each religion for self-regulation and accountability.
“The peer-review committee will be the final arbiter in disputes within its own religion.”
Some religious leaders were opposed to the investigation for fear the commission would interfere with the religious freedom guaranteed by the constitution.
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