"The African National Congress has a long history of association with the Church. Our founders were church men and women. Throughout our years that link has never been broken."

Oliver R Tambo

"The transformation of our country requires the greatest possible cooperation between religions and political bodies, critically and wisely serving our people together. Neither political nor religious objectives can be achieved in isolation. They are held in a creative tension with common commitments. We are partners in the building of our society."

Nelson Mandela

"The new South Africa, born out of a broken and battered society, disfigured by the evil and corrupt apartheid system, cries out for hard political and socio-economic transformation which must be achieved if our country is to save itself from destruction. But it cries out also for spiritual power and resources to heal, to reconcile, to rebuild, and to restore its humanity. South Africa is crying out for its soul."

Thabo Mbeki

Open to all

PEOPLE from all communities of faith belong to the ANC. It is 'a broad church'open to all. Followers of African traditional spirituality, Hindu, Jew, Christian, Muslim, and many other groups find their political home in the ANC.

The Constitution refuses to force any religion on the people. It ensures religious freedom.

"The process of change has created a space for the religious communities by guaranteeing all the freedoms, particularly religious freedom, which should give these communities all the possibilities and opportunities to play their part in the reconstruction and development of our country."

Thabo Mbeki

SHARED VALUES

Religious institutions hold widespread agreement on moral goals. They share the same values.
The quest for justice and peace, honesty and truth, love and freedom in the community brings out the best of humanity in us all. All the bad influences in the world cannot defeat this call to goodness.

The ANC knows that people in all parts of society can follow high ideals even at the cost of self-sacrifice. That is why the ANC believes in a transformed society, with a revolutionary morality. It is a matter of faith.

The NRLF and the Moral Summit

IN June 1997 President Nelson Mandela met religious leaders to discuss a partnership to bring about transformation. Neither religion nor politics could succeed on their own: they needed to cooperate. The response was to form the National Religious Leaders Forum (NRLF), an international 'first'.

In October 1999, after discussion between religious communities and political parties, the NLRF convened a MORAL SUMMIT. Religious and political leaders across the board attended the event. They agreed to find the cause of our moral problems and to seek the answer together. Co-operation to build a successful nation would come first.

South Africa is the first country in the world in which all religious and political groups have come together to seek transformation.

The ANC strongly supports this process of national moral renewal in its booklet 'Ethical Transformation'.

Responsible society

POVERTY, crime, and corruption arise when racism, sexism, greed and antagonism drive our social systems.

"The collapse of an acceptable level of morality in our society.. has resulted in the elevation of the self, and the serving of the interests of the self, to the point that this becomes a religion. The self becomes the god which we must all worship."

Thabo Mbeki

The ANC recognises that the transition from a self-centred cruel era to a humane and compassionate society demands high moral principles and responsible living. It means building a moral culture of human rights and respect for life.

The ANC is committed to solve the sin of poverty. It seeks jobs, food, houses, water, electricity, schooling, for all.

The ANC thinks that a State which believes in changing people, should not kill people.

The ANC believes that women and men must take personal responsibility for their actions, which include sex and illegitimacy.

The ANC does not believe the State should command people's obedience. Responsible society means empowering people to make their own moral choices within the law.

Faith and Politics

Faith and politics are like sides of a coin.

Solving the problems of poverty and greed, violence and corruption, is a deeply spiritual challenge. If political and economic practices are to serve the nation, they must be based on justice not charity, honesty not deceit, transparency not corruption.

The ANC believes that through the democratic interplay of different forces a way forward can be found and followed. All sectors have a role to play: government and opposition, privileged and unprivileged, State and Religion.

Lively religion is not a watch-dog barking round the boundary fences, but a full participant on the factory floor of building a new nation.

Nations are built in neighbourhoods.

Every neighbourhood in our country has religious, political, commercial, educational and social communities who are concerned to build a just and peaceful nation. The ANC believes we must seek ways to do this together at the local level.

The ANC Commission for Religious Affairs

THE strong religious and humanitarian motivation of many ANC members has always been important. It helped bring the organisation into being. It underlined the principles of the Freedom Charter. It helped keep faith alive when liberation seemed far away.

Religious people and institutions fired the struggle at home, and in exile ANC Religious Committees functioned in Lusaka and London.

The inter-faith ANC Commission for Religious Affairs (CRA) was established by the NEC in December 1995, with representatives from the main communities of faith.

It has a spiritual function which, includes a chaplaincy; a political function which relates spiritual and theological insights to current issues; and a religious function in promoting understanding and cooperation with religious bodies.

The CRA is based in Albert Luthuli House in Johannesburg, and is being established in every Province.

ANC COMMISSION FOR RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
51 Plein Street, Johannesburg 2001
PO Box 61884, Marshalltown 2017

Tel: (011) 330 7203
Fax: (011) 336 0097 or 3719