trenches
Wonder Hlongwa
Churches were asked to “return to the trenches” this week to oppose the government’s growth, employment and redistribution policy (Gear) as it does little to assist the poor.
The call was made by delegates to the South African Council of Churches’ (SACC) tri-annual conference, prompting the SACC’s former secretary general, Frank Chikane, to propose a meeting between the government and the church over Gear.
Dr Beyers Naude – Chikane’s predecessor at the SACC – said although Gear is a “party political issue”, when it affects fundamental Christian beliefs about the church’s obligation to the poor, the church has no option but to intervene.
Mzwandile Nuns, a delegate representing the worker ministry in KwaZulu-Natal, called on the government to take note of what ordinary people said during the poverty hearings, “that Gear is of no help to them”.
He slammed the government’s reduction in social spending, saying hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal are now sending patients home because they cannot afford to treat them.
“The views of the poor should be taken seriously, even if means changing the implementation strategy of Gear. You can’t redistribute an economy by cutting social expenditure,” Nuns said.
`We understand they cut social spending in favour of lower company taxation which will subsequently create an environment for more companies to invest. But what we see on the ground is different. The bulk of poor people remain where they were many years ago,” he said.
Nuns’s concerns were echoed by Naude who said South Africa is a rich country but has an unequal distribution of wealth.
SACC president Bishop Sigqibo Dwane said although the organisation understands the problems facing the government, it is willing to engage it on social issues, including Gear. Sidwane said that the government should reduce the budget allocation for the army instead of cutting on social expenditure.
“Should we continue with the size of the army we have? What do we need it for and how much are we spending?” he asked.
In his address to the conference, Chikane – currently director general in Deputy President Thabo Mbeki’s office – welcomed the church’s offer to talk to the government, but said they should come with specific issues in Gear that they are unhappy about .
Chikane said people thought Gear would provide jobs, but it is meant to create an environment for job creation. “There is a total commitment from government to do whatever possible to alleviate poverty … even if it means changing some aspects of Gear,” he said.
The University of the North-West’s deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Takatso Mofokeng, said the church “should go back to the trenches, because it seems that is the language the government understands”.
He cited last month’s victory of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union over the issue of retrenchments as an example.
“Confrontation has brought something where the government said there is nothing. People should demand what they are entitled to and use the methodology that works. Gear didn’t come from a referendum. If people are not happy about it they must stand up against it,” he said.
The conference also addressed problems within the SACC. Sidwane called for the establishment of a commission of inquiry to address a crisis attributed to a change of leadership and dependence on diminishing foreign funding – which he said impinged on human relations in the SACC.