KwaSizabantu Mission assembly hall.
KwaSizabantu Mission has welcomed the release of the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL)’s report and the finding that its “teachings, principles, and rules (doctrines)” are within the scope of freedom of religion as contained in the Constitution.
KwaSizabantu spokesperson Dirk Combrink said the CRL investigation was launched after a media uproar that the mission is a cult.
“The CRL report clearly indicates that the mission is not a cult. Any attempt by the detractors of the mission to portray the mission as a ‘cult’ is wrongful and amounts to hate speech against a minority group and its members. It is also a clear infringement of the right to religious freedom,” Combrink said.
He said the report found the mission was “operating firmly within the ambit of its constitutionally protected rights”.
“In a democracy like South Africa, where human rights were so hard won, this is an important victory for the freedom of SA’s people to choose their religious beliefs and how to practise them. These hard-won rights should never be taken away based on unverified and untrue allegations and claims,” Combrink said.
He said it had “since been revealed that a small group of individuals conspired to take control of the mission”.
“Their master plan (in their own words) was to feed the media with a deluge of allegations of the worst possible crimes on the part of the mission and its leadership. The initial effect was partially successful, and few were willing to believe the mission’s version that it was the victim of an unprecedented, well-orchestrated and nefarious scheme,” Combrink said.
He said the CRL had been provided with the details of the group’s meetings, strategies, bribes paid for false evidence, and the manipulation of a psychologically abused woman.
“Criminal and civil proceedings have already been instituted against some of the key conspirators, [whose] cases are now pending before various courts,” he said.
“The attempt to use false claims of crimes such as rape, murder, and other abuse (as was done by the group of conspirators) for ulterior purposes is appalling,” he said.
He added that the reason for the existence of the mission included reaching out to the vulnerable and abused, particularly women and children.
“The mission has always, and still strongly condemns abuse in any form, and most importantly that of women and children.”
He said the mission had appointed an independent panel to investigate the matter.
“The independent panel found no substance in the allegations that the mission
is complicit in or covering up rape or sexual abuse.”
But he said the mission recognised there “could have been instances where individuals have experienced real hurt”.
“While the CRL Rights Commission did not find any specific wrongdoing on the part of the mission, the mission has always offered support and extended an invitation to individuals to reach out to the mission where they may have experienced hurt,” he said.
“The mission has not shied away from saying sorry where necessary and has done so to respective groups and individuals over the years when and where appropriate. It has been the mission’s consistent commitment to work to rectify (and apologise where necessary) any wrongdoing and to taking whatever actions are necessary to bring restoration in such circumstances.”
Combrink declined to comment on the issues raised by the KwaZulu-Natal government in the unedited report, saying the mission had not seen it.