Cape Town - A deep concern for the “moral crisis” the country finds itself in has prompted a group of religious leaders to call for a national convention to brainstorm ideas on how to get South Africa out of its morass.
At a media briefing held at the V&A Waterfront’s Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island, more than 10 clergymen from The Interfaith Forum of South Africa (Tifsa) said they were deeply concerned “about the social and moral crisis in our country”.
Forum chairperson Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana said: “South Africa is in a state of crisis because poverty continues to haunt us; inequality has deepened. Social ills, such as violence against women and children, remain a major blight on our society.
“Then there’s the collapse of coherent and stable family life, while extreme violence is the order of the day. Racial and gender discrimination continue to bedevil our society.
“Endemic corruption is strangling the life out of our economy. With the highest unemployment rates in the world, the majority of South Africans are excluded from the productive economy and many are bystanders in the political project.
“Tifsa is a collaborative effort of various faith traditions and communities in South Africa, who have come together to lead a national effort to address the state of South Africa because, as a nation, we are in a state of crisis.”
The religious leaders said they rejected the trajectory that the country was currently set on.
“We make the call for us to move in a different direction that brings us all together to realise the full potential of our nation.
“As religious leaders, we affirm the responsibility we have as the faith community to use our platforms to uphold the moral fabric of who we are as a people.
“We came to Robben Island, a place that represented both the pain and sacrifices and the triumph of the human spirit in the resilience of the survival of hope. It is in that spirit that we declare our hope for a better future, for we believe in the people of this nation.”
The Interfaith Forum has gathered at the Nelson Mandela Gateway about the national crisis we are facing eg, corruption and gbv. #TIFSA #OurNation #OurResponsibility @TheCapeArgus #CapeArgus #CapeTown pic.twitter.com/p8cKVOG6au
As a first step to address the morass of the country, they suggested a three-part practical response to improve the situation:
“We therefore wish to announce today, that from October 9-11, Tifsa will be hosting a solutions-driven national convention, which will bring together representatives from all walks of life, to begin the process of righting the wrongs of our national trajectory.
“We need to brainstorm as a nation and we are convening a national brainstorming convention to look for solutions.
“Second, we call on every South African to stand up as a warrior against corruption and the peril faced by whistle-blowers.
“In that context, we also express our disappointment at the slow pace of bringing to book those fingered by the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, otherwise known as the Zondo Commission, and call on the government to expedite delivery on the specific findings and recommendations of the commission.
“Third, we commit to use our spaces to embark on a nationwide campaign for voter education. We are here at Robben Island to mark the sacrifices of those who gave their lives for the vote.
“The solutions to our challenges lie with the citizens of this country. South Africa is our nation, our responsibility. As communities, we have what it takes within us, to work together to reconfigure the trajectory of our nation.”
Union of Orthodox Synagogues Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein said there was so much work to be done in the country.
“The fact that the meeting took place at Nelson Mandela Gateway is so important, because Robben Island represents hope and a better tomorrow. When the world seemed so dark, during apartheid, and yet we were able, with God’s blessing, to build a nation, a country with so much love and a beacon of light, and if we were able to overcome those problems, we certainly could overcome the problems that we face today.”
“If we want to rekindle that, we need to address corruption, because the leaders forget why they are in the position of power, they are here to serve and not to take.
“This forum calls for an urgent action from the government to ensure all of the recommendations and all the people who were implicated in the Zondo commission to not be in public office and action needs to be taken.”