And two women filled the other posts on the SACC praesidium: Virginia Gcabashe of the Methodist Church was named senior vice-president and Sheena Duncan of the Anglican Church was named vice-president.
Other candidates in the closely fought election for the presidency included Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Rev M S Mogoba, Dr Simon Gqubula, Dr Beyers Naude, the Rev J P Schultz and Prof Charles Villa Vicancio. Buthelezi will be sworn in today, the last day of the week-long 19th annual national conference of the SACC in Bosmont, Johannesburg.
The theme of the conference was Refugees and Exiles: Challenge the Church.
- Late yesterday the conference adopted the controversial Lusaka Statement – drawn up jointly after a meeting in Lusaka between church leaders and the ANC, the PAC and Swapo in May. After heated debate over a clause condoning violence carried out by those involved in the “liberation struggle”, a resolution adopting the document was passed with an overwhelming majority. It will now be referred back to member churches.The conference was attended by 250 delegates from member churches, regional councils, community workers, observers, overseas donors of the SACC and guests from the WCC.The WCC was represented by Nora Chase, deputy director of the commission on inter-church aid, refugees and world service.
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail newspaper