Best viewed at minimum 600px screen width (Rotate your device to landscape orientation)
Featured Advertiser
Visit our
Christian Business Directory
Practical ways for the Church to help redress the wrongs of the past
Church in the Community - Media Release in the Herald: 29th July 2024
Source: TCN / Danie Mouton
Date Added: 2024-07-29
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Politics, Issues - Social upliftment,
Date Added: 2024-07-29
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Politics, Issues - Social upliftment,
Property rights, access to land, redistribution of land and expropriation of land without compensation are some of the most heated discussion topics in South Africa today.
I recently attended two challenging discussions on these issues.
The first was the public showing of "A Piece of Land" a documentary by Sesihle Manzini, narrating the story of land dispossession.
This led to widespread and enduring social and economic hardship.
Manzini's documentary tells the Cape Town story.
But how did land and ownership work in our part of the world?
This led to the second challenging conversation, led by prof Janet Cherry, development studies expert.
She recently addressed the NMB Church Leader Network to tell the story of land and justice in what we know today as Gqeberha.
Importantly, both these conversations were efforts to find solutions for current socio-economic issues.
The motive is not to shame or blame, to foster guilt, to judge, to cultivate victimhood or entitlement attitudes or to scapegoat.
One local episode: From 1956 to 1958, 56 000 people were removed from Korsten by a special Slum Elimination Committee.
The few who owned property were in some way compensated, but most were just dislodged.
The very fibre of the community was broken.
We tell these stories to find a way forward in a society ridden with inequality, poverty and unemployment.
The goal is to help those who lost their livelihoods and the lingering effects of the injustices.
It helps to put a human face to the plight of people who lost property, land and livelihood.
The South Africa Early Childhood Review 2024 tracks data on the status of children under six years.
It was released on 17 July 2024 (reported in The Herald, 18 July 2024). And highlights the horrendous plight of children in South Africa.
Child malnutrition and mortality rates have increased over the past few years, alongside rising poverty rates.
"Nearly 40% of children under age six now live in households below the food poverty line, and half a million more children are at serious risk of malnutrition than before Covid-19.
“Children in rural parts of the country have historically been the most vulnerable to poverty and poor nutrition, but now we are seeing a rise everywhere – even in the wealthier urban provinces of Gauteng and the Western Cape," according to the report.
This is one facet of the outcome of three centuries of our colonial history.
I believe the church needs to respond wisely and constructively to our history and the resulting human suffering.
Would it be possible to direct our righteous anger, or guilt and shame in a constructive way towards practical solutions that will change the plight of fellow human beings created in the image of God?
A robust Christian debate on development issues is necessary.
Some advocate private property ownership, title deeds for everyone.
Will this lead to greater economic participation? Not necessarily so, research data suggests.
Zimbabwe is an example of how land ownership can be redistributed in a way that leads to a new elite and to the shocking detriment of the general population.
Prof Cherry suggested security of tenure and shelter.
Rental, leasehold, cooperative ownership and the sharing of land for security and production are avenues for sustained development.
A focus on security of tenure and the productive use of land are more effective than a focus on ownership for profit or speculation.
What is the church's role?
One aspect is to be a prophetic witness to government, to speak truth to power.
Therefore, the church needs to raise its understanding of socio-economic development.
In this way we can witness responsibly to government, but also to business and landowners about their responsibility to fight inequality, poverty and unemployment.
The art and skill of effective influencing is also important.
It is not necessary to burn infrastructure to get a point across to government. Other ways of lobbying for just outcomes are possible.
We should also value small solutions and local actions; however insignificant it may appear to be.
What can I do, in my street of my community?
What can my local congregation do?
Referring to the plight of children, I can involve myself and my church in early childhood development (ECD).
There are excellent resources available, e.g. at https://sikunye.org.za.
Every local church can house an ECD centre.
Training for employment at the local church is possible.
Anchor of Hope, a Dutch Reformed congregation in Richmond Hill, is an example of this.
The congregation functions during the week as an adult community development facility. Practical competencies such as certified computer classes help adults to become employable.
This approach can be duplicated by other churches.
Telling the story of land and justice is a wake up call to Christian social action.
Ds Danie Mouton
is the executive director of the Dutch Reformed Church in the Eastern Cape
I recently attended two challenging discussions on these issues.
The first was the public showing of "A Piece of Land" a documentary by Sesihle Manzini, narrating the story of land dispossession.
This led to widespread and enduring social and economic hardship.
Manzini's documentary tells the Cape Town story.
But how did land and ownership work in our part of the world?
This led to the second challenging conversation, led by prof Janet Cherry, development studies expert.
She recently addressed the NMB Church Leader Network to tell the story of land and justice in what we know today as Gqeberha.
Importantly, both these conversations were efforts to find solutions for current socio-economic issues.
The motive is not to shame or blame, to foster guilt, to judge, to cultivate victimhood or entitlement attitudes or to scapegoat.
One local episode: From 1956 to 1958, 56 000 people were removed from Korsten by a special Slum Elimination Committee.
The few who owned property were in some way compensated, but most were just dislodged.
The very fibre of the community was broken.
We tell these stories to find a way forward in a society ridden with inequality, poverty and unemployment.
The goal is to help those who lost their livelihoods and the lingering effects of the injustices.
It helps to put a human face to the plight of people who lost property, land and livelihood.
The South Africa Early Childhood Review 2024 tracks data on the status of children under six years.
It was released on 17 July 2024 (reported in The Herald, 18 July 2024). And highlights the horrendous plight of children in South Africa.
Child malnutrition and mortality rates have increased over the past few years, alongside rising poverty rates.
"Nearly 40% of children under age six now live in households below the food poverty line, and half a million more children are at serious risk of malnutrition than before Covid-19.
“Children in rural parts of the country have historically been the most vulnerable to poverty and poor nutrition, but now we are seeing a rise everywhere – even in the wealthier urban provinces of Gauteng and the Western Cape," according to the report.
This is one facet of the outcome of three centuries of our colonial history.
I believe the church needs to respond wisely and constructively to our history and the resulting human suffering.
Would it be possible to direct our righteous anger, or guilt and shame in a constructive way towards practical solutions that will change the plight of fellow human beings created in the image of God?
A robust Christian debate on development issues is necessary.
Some advocate private property ownership, title deeds for everyone.
Will this lead to greater economic participation? Not necessarily so, research data suggests.
Zimbabwe is an example of how land ownership can be redistributed in a way that leads to a new elite and to the shocking detriment of the general population.
Prof Cherry suggested security of tenure and shelter.
Rental, leasehold, cooperative ownership and the sharing of land for security and production are avenues for sustained development.
A focus on security of tenure and the productive use of land are more effective than a focus on ownership for profit or speculation.
What is the church's role?
One aspect is to be a prophetic witness to government, to speak truth to power.
Therefore, the church needs to raise its understanding of socio-economic development.
In this way we can witness responsibly to government, but also to business and landowners about their responsibility to fight inequality, poverty and unemployment.
The art and skill of effective influencing is also important.
It is not necessary to burn infrastructure to get a point across to government. Other ways of lobbying for just outcomes are possible.
We should also value small solutions and local actions; however insignificant it may appear to be.
What can I do, in my street of my community?
What can my local congregation do?
Referring to the plight of children, I can involve myself and my church in early childhood development (ECD).
There are excellent resources available, e.g. at https://sikunye.org.za.
Every local church can house an ECD centre.
Training for employment at the local church is possible.
Anchor of Hope, a Dutch Reformed congregation in Richmond Hill, is an example of this.
The congregation functions during the week as an adult community development facility. Practical competencies such as certified computer classes help adults to become employable.
This approach can be duplicated by other churches.
Telling the story of land and justice is a wake up call to Christian social action.
Ds Danie Mouton
is the executive director of the Dutch Reformed Church in the Eastern Cape
Source: TCN / Danie Mouton
Date Added: 2024-07-29
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Politics, Issues - Social upliftment,
Back to News IndexDate Added: 2024-07-29
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Politics, Issues - Social upliftment,
_______________________________________________
Please read our disclaimer
This section of our site aims to keep you informed about news in the local church, and worldwide.
Please email us any items of interest.
Please email us any items of interest.
 |
| Christian News to strengthen God's people at www.gatewaynews.co.za News that is fresh, relevant, edifying and which glorifies Jesus! |
Worthy News is a website with a good selection of news articles from around the world in a number of categories, both Christian and secular. They also offer a free subsciption service to deliver daily news headlines to your email box. Click here to pay them a visit.