Reverend Musa Xulu
Reverend Musa Xulu’s resignation as chairperson of the Section 22 Committee – citing concerns over transparency, constitutional accountability and what he describes as undue interference – is the latest controversy to rock the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission).
The Section 22 Committee is an ad hoc body established by the CRL Rights Commission to address abuses, particularly Christianity, by developing self-regulation, promoting accountability and protecting congregants from exploitation by religious leaders.
Critics of the commission — an independent Chapter 9 institution charged with fostering social cohesion, nation-building and mutual respect among South Africa’s diverse communities – say it has increasingly overstepped its constitutional oversight mandate, moving toward direct state control of religion.
Xulu told reporters on Thursday that he “can no longer serve as chair of a committee the processes of which I do not control, the outcomes of which I do not endorse and the existence of which is being used as a front to disguise a predetermined agenda of State control of religion, driven in part by personal hostility toward particular Christian faith and traditions”.
He alleged that major Christian constituencies had been excluded from processes, noting that the Apostolic Faith Mission, Assemblies of God and Full Gospel Church formally rejected claims that they were represented.
Xulu said a draft Christian sector self-regulatory framework released on 19 December had been rushed through meetings chaired by CLR chairperson Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva.
“Its sudden appearance shocked me,” he said. “I warned clearly and unequivocally that the document was not fit for purpose, not scripturally grounded, not theologically sound, and constitutionally problematic. I warned that in my view it infringed the Constitution.”
Xulu was appointed on 25 April 2025 to chair the Section 22 Committee, having been involved in the 1998 national conference that gave rise to the establishment of the CRL Rights Commission.
An ordained Christian minister and academic, Xulu said he had always sought to serve both church and state “with fidelity, balance, and integrity”.
Despite public assurances that the committee was independent, he said procedural irregularities persisted.
He said he never presided over a meeting from start to finish; that meetings were convened and often chaired by Mkhwanazi-Xaluva; that agendas were drawn up by the commission; and that the secretariat operated under the authority of the CRL executive.
“My repeated attempts to establish the independence of the committee from the CRL chair and the commission were not allowed to take effect,” said Xulu, describing the process as “toxic, exclusionary and intimidating”.
Freedom of Religion South Africa (ForSA) — a critic of the CRL Rights Commission — said it took Xulu’s allegations seriously.
“In professor Xulu’s account, these actions fundamentally contradict the constitutional role of a Chapter 9 institution,” it said in a statement, calling for an urgent, independent inquiry into the Section 22 Committee and the immediate suspension of its work pending the outcome.
“Whatever one’s theological or ecclesial position, the principle is straightforward: no committee can credibly claim to speak for tens of millions while excluding large sectors and treating disagreement as disruption.”
In a statement also issued on Thursday, the remaining members of the Section 22 Committee said Xulu’s comments did not represent its collective views, position or mandate.
“Prof Xulu submitted a letter of resignation as chairperson of the committee on 15 January 2026, just moments before his press conference,” the committee members said. “Prior to this, the CRL Rights Commission had formally written to him on 14 January 2026, directing him to desist from any media engagements, as he lacked the authority to convene such a briefing.
“Any statements made or positions presented at this briefing reflect professor Xulu’s personal opinions and must not be construed as representing the official stance of the Section 22 Ad Hoc Committee or the broader CRL Rights Commission process.