The South African Council of Churches (SACC) has issued a stark rebuke to those who believe religious institutions should avoid political questions, as the country grapples with anti-foreign national protests and deepening governance failures.
Speaking after an Africa Day service held amid ongoing tensions, SACC General Secretary Reverend Mzwandile Molo said the church has a historic and non-negotiable mandate to stand on the side of justice — regardless of political pushback.
“Whoever then says the church must stay out of this doesn’t understand the mandate of the church,” Reverend Molo said. “Secondly, they clearly don’t understand the history of South Africa. Can you imagine South Africa’s journey without the role of an Albert Luthuli? Can you imagine a South Africa without Archbishop Desmond Tutu?”
The remarks follow recent anti-immigrant threats that forced approximately 250 people — mostly women and children from several African nations — to seek refuge at the Diakonia Council of Churches in Durban after receiving warnings to leave by June 30.
Reverend Molo placed the blame for the recurring xenophobic tensions squarely on government, accusing leaders of corruption, misgovernance and failing to create a proper legal framework to address complex national problems.
“Those who are not South African by citizenship or registration are not really our enemy,” he said. “Our enemy is poverty. Our enemy is misgovernance. Our enemy is corruption. Our enemy is underdevelopment — not only in South Africa but in the region itself.”
He called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to commit to building a regional economic reality that removes any incentive for citizens of Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho to leave their home countries.
“We must all carry the burden as a region,” Reverend Molo said. “South Africa has also been built on the sacrifice of the people of Malawi, of the people of Zimbabwe. The mines in South Africa have been built on the backs of those people who suffered and gave so much for little pay.”
The church leader rejected any suggestion that providing sanctuary to migrants would overstep the church’s role, stating that the church cannot demand identification papers from those in need. He reminded Christians that Jesus himself came to Africa as a refugee child fleeing King Herod.
“The church cannot say, before I help you, can you give me your ID? Can you give me your passport?” he said.
While the church continues to shelter the vulnerable, Reverend Molo stressed that it does not seek to replace government. Instead, he called for a national conversation led by responsible citizens and urged the government to harness all sectors of society rather than allow citizens to dehumanize one another.
“The church has no option,” he said. “God is on the side of the poor. God is on the side of the marginalized. And God calls the church to be where God is.”
