Visit to Dunoon, 26 May 2010

The following account of Archbishop Thabo Makgoba’s visit to Dunoon is drawn from a report, with pictures, that is available on the website of the Diocese of Saldanha Bay, www.dioceseofsaldanhabay.org.za/diocese/currentnews/

Bishop Raphael Hess and the Chapter of the Diocese of Saldanha Bay express their sincere support and sympathy for the community of Dunoon. Bishop Raphael is also deeply grateful for the Archbishop's visit arranged by HOPE Africa, and to the leadership and Parishioners in the Chapelry.

The Chapelry of St Laurence, in the Parish of St Chad's Church Table View is situated in the township of Dunoon (about 16 kilometers from Cape Town). Recently, a fire raised 165 shanties to the ground, killing one person. The shanties are densely packed together, adding heavily to the rapid spread of fires. While no one can say exactly how this recent blaze started, dangerous and illegal electrical wires criss-cross at very low levels over the shanty skies. Candles, paraffin and wood fires are often the only sources of heat, warmth and light.

In support of parishioners and the community, Archbishop Thabo visited Dunoon today (26 May 2010). The Archbishop delivered a message of hope, distributed some clothing, blankets and food and visited part of the affected area. These care packages were made possible by HOPE Africa in partnership with the Warehouse.

On arrival in Dunoon, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba was welcomed by the Revd Anthony Henderson, on behalf of Bishop Raphael and the Revd William Payne, Rector of the Parish. Canon Delene Mark of HOPE Africa accompanied the Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, and Zweli Luzipo, chairperson of Ethembeni, assisted in showing them round.

As they walked around Dunoon, it was clear that though townships in South Africa are places of hardship, poverty and despair - they are also places of staggering heart, humanity, resilience and hope. Dunoon is no exception! The Parish and community received the Archbishop with huge smiles, beating cushions and hammering bells - from the oldest to the youngest. In the seriousness and sorrow there was also celebration and tangible signs of care

The visitors stopped in front of a home that had been raised to the ground. They paused as a mark of respect for those affected by the fire – and particularly in the place where a life was lost. A member of the Mothers' Union led prayers. A Cross cuts through the clear of the open sky just above the place where once someone's home stood. At this place of loss, the delegation stood still and, in sacred silence, witnessed to a God who is still God - even and especially on the ground, in the specific situations of human existence, and especially where there is struggle and pain.

In Dunoon, the Archbishop spoke to the community in the following words:

Dear Friends - my brothers and sisters in Christ,

Thank you all for being here. I just want to share the story of Haiti, following the devastating earthquake earlier this year. I have never seen such immense destruction, the incredible pain inflicted on the people and the ‘smell’ of death as one walked through the capital city of Port au Prince. There was a sense of hopelessness that all had been lost, including more than 220,000 human lives. Please pray for Haiti - even in your own suffering.

But thanks to be God that here in this tragedy in Dunoon there was minimal loss of human life. One life was lost and I pray for the family of the man who died as a result of the fire and for the repose of his soul.

I am honoured to be with you today, along with our team from HOPE Africa. It was with much sadness that I learned of the fire which spread through this area on the 2nd of May. We were distressed to learn of the destruction of more than 100 of your homes and the displacement of more than 500 of this community’s residents, including 20 infants. We grieve for the loss of the life of one of your number and for all who lost their homes and belongings.

In Psalm 147 we are reminded of God’s special relationship with us, especially in the difficult times. We hear the psalmist say that God ‘will heal the broken-hearted and bind up their wounds,’ and that God 'counts the number of the stars and calls them all by name.' And we know that God also knows each of us by name. Therefore we need have no hesitation to approach him at any time – in times of difficulty and pain, and in times of joy as well. He is there to listen to each of us and will give us the strength and courage to carry on.

I know that initially you received support from some sectors of government. We are here together with HOPE Africa, the social development programme of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, to say that you have not been forgotten and to offer some tangible assistance, small though it may be. The scars from such a tragedy run deep and they take time to heal. We continue to hold all of you in our prayers, confident in the promise of our Risen and Ascended Lord Jesus that he will be with us always – to the end of time.

We are also grateful to the chapelry of St. Lawrence for its commitment to reach out to you and others in the community who suffer from tragedies such as this one. One of today’s readings for Morning Prayer is from the Book of Proverbs (Proverbs 17:17) 'A friend loves at all times, and kinsfolk are born to share in adversity.' And as children of God, we are sisters and brothers to one another – we are the family of God. That is the most important part of why we are here today. We are also grateful for the members of this chapelry and others in the Western Cape for the donations which we leave here today.

May you all continue to know the love and compassion and hope of God as seen in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ as you rebuild your lives in this place and as you reach out to one another.

Western Cape Religious Leaders Forum

The following statement has been released by the Western Cape Religious Leaders Forum (WCRLF)

The Western Cape Religious Leaders Forum Executive and Working Committee met at Bishopscourt on the 25 May, under the Chairmanship of Archbishop Thabo Makgoba. At that meeting the forum looked at its own structures, its relationship to NILC and at the same time reflected on the urgent societal issues of this week. The Forum issued the following statement on three concerns which were raised:

1. Concerning the death of infants in the Eastern Cape Hospital -

It is with great sadness and concern that we read in the media of the large number of infant deaths occurring in our hospitals. We call upon the authorities to investigate the cause of these tragedies and that steps be taken to ensure that this does not happen again, and that those responsible are held accountable. We assure the families of the affected of our prayers that they may find consolation in this their time of bereavement.

2. On the import the Zapiro cartoon had on our Muslim brothers –

We were also very concerned to hear of the hurt which cartoons or statements that demean religious leaders cause to members of our community, and urge that all should show respect for other people’s faith beliefs.

3. On the interreligious scene –

We also heard of the continued incarceration and persecution of members of the Bahai community in Iran, and we call upon all Iranians to take action to ensure that this persecution ends.

Issued by Archbishop T Makgoba, Chair of the WCRLF Executive on behalf of the WCRLF.

For more information on the WCRLF contact Fr John Oliver (Convenor) or Mrs Elizabeth Petersen at 021 462 2277 (office hours)

Note to editors: The names of those who were present at the meeting yesterday: Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Revd Canon Robert Butterworth, Moulana Abdul-Khaliq Allie, Revd Mandla D Makha, Lester Hoffman, Mickey Glass, Tahirih Matthee, Sheihk Abdulhamied Gabier, Bongile Mawawa Mose, Guru Krishna, Revd John Oliver, Revd Barry Isaacs, Elizabeth Petersen.

The Imprisonment of Stephen Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga

This Statement from the Anglican Bishops in Southern African on the Imprisonment of Stephen Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga was issued today

We, the Bishops of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa call upon the Government of South Africa to seek the release of Stephen Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, who were recently sentenced in Malawi to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour, after they shared in a traditional ceremony of engagement.

As we have previously stated, though there is a breadth of theological views among us on matters of human sexuality, we are united in opposing the criminalisation of homosexual people. We see the sentence that has been handed down to these two individuals as a gross violation of human rights and we therefore strongly condemn such sentences and behaviour towards other human beings. We emphasize the teachings of the Scriptures that all human beings are created in the image of God and therefore must be treated with respect and accorded human dignity. .

These principles are at the heart of South Africa's own Constitution, whose provisions we see as setting an example for the world to follow. We therefore call on our President and Government to pursue the same values and standards for the upholding of human well-being, dignity and respect, in our external relations; to engage in dialogue with their counterparts on the rights of minorities; and to oppose any measures which demean and oppress individuals, communities, or groups of people. In particular we call on our President and Government to lobby the Government of Malawi at every level to uphold the commitment it shares through the SADC treaty to promote human rights (Article 4). We urge them to press for the swift release of these two individuals, who have committed no act of violence or harm against anyone; for the quashing of the sentence against them; and for the repeal of this repressive legislation.

More generally, we wish to reiterate our deep concern at the violent language used against the gay community across Sub-Saharan Africa, and at the increased legal action being taken against gay individuals, communities and organisations. Even in South Africa we are aware of instances of violence against the gay and lesbian community. We therefore appeal to law-makers everywhere to defend the rights of these minorities.

As Bishops we believe that it is immoral to permit or support oppression of, or discrimination against, people on the grounds of their sexual orientation, and contrary to the teaching of the gospel; particularly Jesus’ command that we should love one another as he has loved us, without distinction (John 13:34-35). We commit ourselves to teach, preach and act against any laws that undermine human dignity and oppress any and all minorities, even as we call for Christians and all people to uphold the standards of holiness of life.

Issued by the Office of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Inquiries: on 021- 763-1320 (office hours)

Note to editors: On 12 February 2010 The Synod of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa issued a statement opposing the draft legislation proposed in Uganda to further criminalize homosexuality. The text of this statement is available at http://www.anglicanchurchsa.org/view.asp?ItemID=265&tname=tblComponent1&oname=News&pg=front

Dialogue is the only way forward

This press statement was released by exChange@Blackburn Cathedral, on 24 May, following the Archbishop's visit last week.

Speaking after a dialogue week at Blackburn Cathedral with Anjum Anwar MBE and Canon Chris Chivers, the Archbishop of Cape Town, The Most Reverend Thabo Makgoba commended the cathedral – the first in the world to employ a Muslim dialogue development officer to work alongside a canon who focuses on interfaith and community cohesion issues – for its “outstanding attempts to engage one community with another.”

The dialogue explored themes of poverty and justice that emerge from the Archbishop’s own life and context, and touched on difficult issues in the life of the Anglican Communion, the political turmoil in Zimbabwe, xenophobia in South Africa and the economics of the World Cup.

The Archbishop who is one of the youngest archbishops in the Anglican Communion was clearly struck by the presence of many students – trainee imams – from the Muslim College, Moss Street, Blackburn, and the ecumenical and multi-faith diversity of audience. Commenting, he said, “The world, the Anglican Communion, South Africa, our continent of Africa: all need more dialogue on issues like human sexuality, Zimbabwe, equity, economic development and inter-religious relationships. This is the way forward. I was very struck by the power and depth of my dialogue experience in Blackburn.”

Canon Chris Chivers, Canon Chancellor at Blackburn Cathedral and formerly Canon Precentor of St George’s Cathedral, Cape Town, added: “Having interviewed the archbishop for sixteen hours last year for a forthcoming book of conversations about his life, it was no surprise to me that he was such a natural in this environment. He spoke with great thoughtfulness and eloquence. The audience clearly responded to his magnetic personality. The sight of so many young Muslims animatedly huddled around him with their questions is one we will recall for a long time.”

No link to 'South Africa for the Children of Haiti'

This statement was released on 24 May

Anglican Church of Cape Town denies association with the "South Africa for the Children of Haiti, earthquake relief fund".

Please note that the Anglican Church of Cape Town and the Archbishop of Cape Town, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba have NOT entered into an association with the SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE CHILDREN OF HAITI “earthquake relief fund” and proposed concert to be held in Cape Town in June 2010 organized by the founder and Chairperson of this fund, Pastor Timothy J. M. Chiguvare.

The Anglican Church regrets that it cannot support this venture as it is directly involved in Haiti with others, and is supporting the efforts of the ‘Africa for Haiti’ initiative.

Statement on Human Trafficking in advance of the World Cup

The following statement was issued today.

Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town thanks those addressing human trafficking ahead of the FIFA World Cup

I wholeheartedly endorse the preparations made by South Africa’s civil society organisations, following the announcement made in 2006 that we would host the FIFA World Cup 2010, to address the societal issues which accompany such global events, regardless of location.

Chief among these concerns is human trafficking, which parts of civil society have worked hard to address ahead of the World Cup. Workshops have been held; teachers and students have been trained to recognise the signs of someone who is in danger from human trafficking; comprehensive legislation has been introduced into Parliament (and though, sadly, it will not be passed in time for the World Cup, it will nonetheless provide comprehensive protection and benefits in the near future); and organisations have developed programmes which provide safe spaces for children in the extended school holidays during the World Cup.

One such programme, developed by HOPE Africa (the Social Development Programme of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa), in cooperation with the Scripture Union and TUG (the Ultimate Goal), is the ‘holiday club’ which encourages churches and schools, in partnership with volunteers, to use their facilities to provide safe spaces, meals and interesting activities for children aged 6 to 13. The programme is being piloted in the Diocese of False Bay in the Western Cape. At present over 70 clubs are planned, offering safe space for more than 5000 children. I also want to commend the Peninsula School Feeding Association, with whom the Anglican Church has had a longstanding relationship for over 35 years, for their support of the ‘holiday club’ programme.

The format for this programme has been circulated to all the dioceses of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, so that, wherever appropriate, it can be implemented country-wide. It can also be adapted for use in conjunction with other events.

I want to commend HOPE Africa and its partners for this effort, and for the other projects which have been developed around South Africa during the FIFA World Cup. We can never do ‘too much’ to protect our children from potential harm which takes from them their right to be children.

My hope is that the FIFA World Cup will be a time of joy and celebration of all that is good and wholesome in the sport of football and its enjoyment by football fans – and I invite everyone to join me in praying that this may indeed be so, in the words at the end of this statement. May we all extend to our many visitors and fellow citizens the welcoming spirit of ubuntu – and make ourselves truly proud to be South Africans.

The Archbishop's Prayer

God bless the 2010 World Cup:

bless those who compete, and those who watch,

bless those who host, and those who visit,

and help all who love the 'the beautiful game'

grow in the love you have given us to share. Amen