Issued by: Office of the President
25 February 1998
Archdeacon Rod Van Zuylen Anglican Archdeacon of Durban 115 Venice Road Morningside Durban, 4001
Dear Archdeacon
We have received your letter to President Nelson Mandela, dated 13 February 1998, as well as the undated "open letter" which was apparently intended for the President but instead appeared in different public media before the Office of the President received it.
The President is naturally deeply shocked by the incidents of crime you referred to in your letter.
Our general approach is for the President and the Office of the President not to reply to "open letters" which are published in the media. We consider these to be part of the general public discourse, intended to provoke public reaction and awareness rather than a specific response from the President.
It is the experience of the Office of the President that in the recent past certain political parties have been in communication with us through "open letters", mainly for the purposes of their legitimate public campaign work. While we recognise the different points of departure between yourselves and those political parties, the fact is that the ways of communicating through the press are similar. However, the President appreciates immensely the role religious institutions can and do play in combating crime. It is for that reason that he, together with the relevant Ministries and Departments, is in frequent contact with religious leaders and organisations, also with regard to the implementation of crime combating plans and programmes. It is in this context that we find throughout the length and breadth of our country, clergymen and women play leading roles in community policing forums and other community programmes. Most of the people who are in these ways part of the fight against crime understand what government means when it says that the crime situation in general has stabilised and that certain categories of crime have started showing a downward turn.
Indeed the crime levels in South Africa are still too high and require constant and united action by all South Africans, at the head of which stands the government of the day.
The Anglican Church has a proud tradition of being part of the movement to make our country a better place to live in. We are confident that it is conscious of the constructive role it can play in the fight against crime. We look forward to an ever growing partnership between the church and the government in the reconstruction of our society to make it a safe and secure place for all of its citizens.
Yours sincerely
G J Gerwel DIRECTOR-GENERAL