ActionSA Welcomes CRL Oversight but Warns Against Government Overreach in Churches
Press Statement by Alan Beesley MP
ActionSA Member of Parliament
ActionSA notes the establishment of a Section 22 Committee by the CRL Rights Commission, aimed at protecting the vulnerable and exercising oversight over church and religious institutions. We welcome every effort to safeguard communities against exploitation, abuse, and harmful practices.
At the same time, ActionSA emphasises the importance of caution. Oversight must not drift into the regulation of doctrine or faith. The Constitution is clear in Section 15, which guarantees freedom of religion, belief, and opinion. The right of South Africans to worship freely must never be compromised by government overreach.
In a recent parliamentary reply the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs confirmed that:
No formal legislative proposal or draft bill has been submitted by the CRL Rights Commission;
No interdepartmental consultations have taken place on regulating churches; and
The CRL Commission currently has no regulatory powers, only oversight functions.
This assurance is important: there are no government plans to regulate churches or expand the CRL’s mandate. The establishment of the Section 22 Committee must therefore be seen strictly as an oversight mechanism, not as an attempt to regulate or control religious practice.
ActionSA supports initiatives to protect the vulnerable but will remain vigilant to ensure that constitutional freedoms are not undermined. We will firmly oppose any attempt by the CRL to overstep its mandate, warning that government intrusion into doctrine, teachings, or internal church governance would be an unconstitutional abuse of power.
We call on the CRL Rights Commission to work in partnership with faith communities and civil society, ensuring transparency and accountability, while respecting the sacred line between government authority and the freedom of worship.
ActionSA Welcomes CRL Oversight but Warns Against Government Overreach in Churches
ActionSA notes the establishment of a Section 22 Committee by the CRL Rights Commission, aimed at protecting the vulnerable and exercising oversight over church and religious institutions. We welcome every effort to safeguard communities against exploitation, abuse, and harmful practices.
At the same time, ActionSA emphasises the importance of caution. Oversight must not drift into the regulation of doctrine or faith. The Constitution is clear in Section 15, which guarantees freedom of religion, belief, and opinion. The right of South Africans to worship freely must never be compromised by government overreach.
In a recent parliamentary reply the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs confirmed that:
This assurance is important: there are no government plans to regulate churches or expand the CRL’s mandate. The establishment of the Section 22 Committee must therefore be seen strictly as an oversight mechanism, not as an attempt to regulate or control religious practice.
ActionSA supports initiatives to protect the vulnerable but will remain vigilant to ensure that constitutional freedoms are not undermined. We will firmly oppose any attempt by the CRL to overstep its mandate, warning that government intrusion into doctrine, teachings, or internal church governance would be an unconstitutional abuse of power.
We call on the CRL Rights Commission to work in partnership with faith communities and civil society, ensuring transparency and accountability, while respecting the sacred line between government authority and the freedom of worship.