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Church leaders are faced with a fresh calling to tell the story of the graft and corruption that is now a malignancy in South Africa.

This was the message of Archbishop Emeritus Njongonkulu Ndungane when he spoke yesterday to a meeting of deans [senior priests of Anglican cathedrals] in Stellenbosch.

Recalling the witness of cathedrals during the years of apartheid, Archbishop Ndungane said: “The voice of the church was the one clanging cymbal in the years of apartheid that told the world of its evil. It was a cymbal that was sounded again and again.

“So too today we are called to tell the story to the world, and especially to South Africans, of the evils that are being perpetrated in their name by greedy and corrupt political leaders and officials. The impact of these modern-day evils is such the failure of state-owned enterprises is regularly ascribed to them. State capture is an everyday reality.

“The money of South Africans is used to rescue businesses like SAA and Eskom. And while this is happening more than 50 cents in the Rand spent by this government, of our money, goes towards paying debt. That means less than 50 cents in the Rand goes towards essential services such as housing, water and sanitation, education, health services, and so the list goes on.

It is a list that talks to the needs of our people. The actions of our deans can be telling in leading the work to counteract and demolish this scourge of graft and corruption, just as our deans led the way against apartheid!”

Archbishop Ndungane noted that 2017 is the 25th anniversary of the ordination of women, and added that he was proud to have been part of the movement that brought about the realisation of the ordination of women.

However, he lamented the fact that up to the present day, there had only been two women deans, in spite of many women now being ordained priests in the Anglican Church.

“Women have shown during the past 25 years that they can be the most outstanding pastors. Women priests are discerning spiritual leaders, and they certainly have shown their ability to lead when it comes to the matter of social justice.

They bring invaluable insights to the full spectrum of the life and witness of the church. Academically they have excelled in many fields and of course not least in the field of theological education. It is past time for us to see women being appointed as deans of our cathedrals.  I trust bishops are listening to this sincere plea, and that our deans will also bring their influence to bear in this matter.”

The full text of Archbishop Njongo’s speech is available here: https://joom.ag/UpjL

Issued by on behalf of Archbishop Emeritus Njongonkulu Ndungane by Quo Vadis Communications cc