Established in 2007, the Western Cape Religious Leaders’ Forum (WCRLF) brings together representatives of all the major faith communities in the Province. Under the patronship of Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, representatives of the Jewish, Hindu, Baha’i and African Traditional communities are involved in the forum along with all main denominations of Christianity and Islam. In the short time it has been in existence, WCRLF has established a reputation of being a prophetic voice in South African public life. Given where this country was just a generation ago, South Africa remains a living miracle, a testament to the power of non-violent political action, courage and reconciliation. But we do not live in a utopian paradise. Our nation is disfigured by rampant poverty and inequality, corruption and crime. Our constitution is rightly a model for the world, but we have failed to deliver on its promises for the poorest, and it is threatened by a worrying tendency towards authoritarianism. WCRLF works in partnership with those with power at national, provincial and local levels - when necessary, working in a critical partnership - to deliver a better life for all. WCRLF is a key partner in the Right 2 Know Campaign, working to thwart the draconian Information Bill and promote citizens’ access to information held by government. WCRLF is working with the South African Faith Communities Environmental Institute to galvanise the faith sector into making a positive contribution at the COP 17 summit in Durban. South Africa has many fragile ecosystems; climate change threatens not only the natural environment but human welfare and economic development. Yet we are by far sub- Saharan Africa’s worst carbon emitter, with a record poorer than many European and Asian countries with much higher levels of GDP. WCRLF is a fearless defender of the freedom and democracy enshrined in our Constitution at such great cost. The level of economic inequality in South Africa should shame any civilised society. Poverty is not only an evil of itself, but the poor are more vulnerable to crime, malfunctioning government services, inadequate housing and sanitation and poor treatment by officials. Yet the stories of the poorest are often crowded out of the public conversation. WCRLF works to amplify the voices of those in our poorest communities, empowering them to create a better life for themselves. Faced with the repeated demolition of places of worship in Khayelitsha, WCRLF is working in partnership with one of its constituent organisations, the Western Cape Christian Ministers’ Forum, and the City of Cape Town to ensure that everyone in Khayelitsha has access to the space they need to make their right to freedom of worship real. WCRLF works in partnership with organisations such as the Social Justice Coalition to highlight the shocking level of basic sanitation endured by people in our poorest communities. WCRLF seeks to raise the consciousness of the sanitation issue among better off South Africans, and will work in partnership with all levels of government to find solutions that accelerate delivery of sanitation services. (continued overleaf)
Transcript
Established in 2007, the Western CapeReligious Leaders’ Forum (WCRLF) bringstogether representatives of all the major faithcommunities in the Province. Under thepatronship of Archbishop Thabo Makgoba,representatives of the Jewish, Hindu, Baha’iand African Traditional communities areinvolved in the forum along with all maindenominations of Christianity and Islam. Inthe short time it has been in existence,WCRLF has established a reputation ofbeing a prophetic voice in South Africanpublic life.
Given where this country was just a generationago, South Africa remains a living miracle, atestament to the power of non-violent politicalaction, courage and reconciliation. But we do notlive in a utopian paradise. Our nation is disfiguredby rampant poverty and inequality, corruption andcrime. Our constitution is rightly a model for theworld, but we have failed to deliver on itspromises for the poorest, and it is threatened by aworrying tendency towards authoritarianism.WCRLF works in partnership with those withpower at national, provincial and local levels -when necessary, working in a critical partnership -to deliver a better life for all.
WCRLF is a key partner in the Right 2 KnowCampaign, working to thwart the draconianInformation Bill and promote citizens’ accessto information held by government.
WCRLF is working with the South AfricanFaith Communities Environmental Institute togalvanise the faith sector into making a positivecontribution at the COP 17 summit inDurban. South Africa has many fragileecosystems; climate change threatens not onlythe natural environment but human welfare andeconomic development. Yet we are by far sub-Saharan Africa’s worst carbon emitter, with arecord poorer than many European and Asiancountries with much higher levels of GDP.
WCRLF is a fearless defender of the freedomand democracy enshrined in our Constitutionat such great cost.
The level of economic inequality in South Africashould shame any civilised society. Poverty is notonly an evil of itself, but the poor are morevulnerable to crime, malfunctioning governmentservices, inadequate housing and sanitation andpoor treatment by officials. Yet the stories of thepoorest are often crowded out of the publicconversation. WCRLF works to amplify the voicesof those in our poorest communities, empoweringthem to create a better life for themselves.
Faced with the repeated demolition of placesof worship in Khayelitsha, WCRLF is workingin partnership with one of its constituentorganisations, the Western Cape ChristianMinisters’ Forum, and the City of Cape Townto ensure that everyone in Khayelitsha hasaccess to the space they need to make their rightto freedom of worship real.
WCRLF works in partnership withorganisations such as the Social JusticeCoalition to highlight the shocking level of basicsanitation endured by people in our poorestcommunities. WCRLF seeks to raise theconsciousness of the sanitation issue amongbetter off South Africans, and will work inpartnership with all levels of government tofind solutions that accelerate delivery ofsanitation services.
(continued overleaf)
Aware of the contribution that faith communi-ties have made to a culture of patriarchy andmale supremacism, combatting gender-basedviolence is a key priority for WCRLF. We workin partnership with the South African Faith andFamily Institute to improve services for victimsof domestic violence and change the attitudesof those who perpetrate and apologise for it.WCRLF is raising awareness of the issue of so-called ‘corrective rape’ and is taking a strongpublic stand that no religious belief can justifysuch violent prejudice.
WCRLF has been an active member of the Pro-vincial Safety Forum which seeks to monitorand respond to xenophobia in our Province.Our extensive contacts at community levelmakes WCRLF a key partner in identifying po-tential trouble spots so interventions can bedelivered before violence erupts.
All faith traditions demand that people behavehonestly, tell the truth, fulfil their promises anddeal with other people fairly. But South Africa isscarred by corruption and dishonesty in public life.Too many officials try to exceed their legitimateauthority and there is a worrying tendency towardsauthoritarianism, undermining our hard wonfreedoms. WCRLF holds those in power to ac-count for their actions, works against dishonestyand corruption and seeks to build a tolerant na-tion, at ease with its diversity and at peace with theworld.
By its existence, WCRLF is a powerful force fornation building and religious tolerance.WCRLF’s members reach literally every com-munity in our Province. WCRLF brings to-gether people not only of different religioustraditions, but varying economic, cultural, racialand political backgrounds. WCRLF helps com-munities with widely different experiences oflife in South Africa to speak with one voice, andhelps ensure that the Western Cape’s reputationas a bastion of religious tolerance continues tobe deserved.
WCRLF is a key partner in the civil societyElection Monitoring Network, providing on-the-ground staffing and expert analytical capaci-ty, so our elections remain free, fair and seen tobe so.
WCRLF is a powerful voice against corruption,demanding that those in public life live up tothe commitments they have made and reflectthe standards of the faiths that most of themhold.
Among other achievements, WCRLF provides aneffective and essential channel of communicationbetween the faith sector and all levels ofgovernment in the Western Cape.
People of all faiths share values such as acommitment to truth, justice and human dignity.WCRLF brings people together, who might havedifferent theological views, but who can worktogether for a freer, fairer and more tolerant SouthAfrica.
Faith is important to the vast majority of people inSouth Africa. Faith communities played a vital rolein the struggle for national liberation, and continueto be major actors in protecting our democracyand helping it to mature. Faith communities are apowerful independent voice, free of governmentor party political interference, capable ofgalvanising millions of South Africans intoworking for the common good. WCRLF helpsensure that our incredible diversity of religiouscommunities harness their power to make this abetter country for all.
Our work falls under three main aims: partneringgovernment to deliver for all, amplifying thevoices of the poor and marginalised, andpromoting ethical behaviour.
For more information, contact::
The Western Cape Religious Leaders’ ForumZonnebloem EstateCambridge StreetCape Town 8001
