ARCHBISHOP SERAPHIM MEETS THABO MBEKI
 

On 19 July 2007, our Archbishop Seraphim of Johannesburg and Pretoria accompanied by Rev Athinodoros attended a meeting with National Religious Leaders and the President of the Republic at the Union buildings. Cabinet ministers also attended the meeting. The agenda included a presentation on crime statistics/trends and strategies to prevent and combat crime. The crime statistics for the years 2006/2007, were discussed, and compared towards previous financial years. When crime figures for 2006/2007 compared to those recorded during 2005/2006, it transpired that six of the eight contact crimes decreased by 8, 7% on common assault and 3% on attempted murder. The National Deputy Commissioner of Safety and Security outlined a plan to combat crime by way of the following:
 

1.    increasing the number of the police force
2.    optimal personnel utilisation
3.    training
4.    performance
5.    flexible working hours
 

They have identified that crime reaches its peak over weekends, due to alcohol and drug intake and subsides during Mondays to Thursday.  Most crime takes place in less than ten percent of South Africa as a whole. Our Archbishop pointed out that police need to have more of a presence in that they need to be visible and proactive in order to combat crime. He added that, improved training of police personnel at both police station level and in the field is required as well as a more concerted effort to take control of illegal firearms and, if need be, to bring in the army or more police control. Archbishop Seraphim commented that crime in this country was the result of social injustices of the past and there is no quick solution to the problem. He suggested to the commissioner that due to the face that police have identified that the problem areas lie in such a small part of South Africa, helps make the issue of crime much easier to solve. The discussion ended with a recommendation by President Mbeki that a workshop take place between religious leaders and government to help reach a solution to the crime problem.

Number two on the agenda was the Implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Religious Leaders, which included

1.    The Presidency
2.    Department of Arts and Culture
3.    Department of Education
4.    Department of Health
5.    Department of Labour
6.    Department of Social development

Through a partnership agreement, Government and the NRLF should strive to mobilize and focus resources

to foster sustainable community development, social cohesion and the creation of a caring society. The agreement should ensure greater synergy between the programmes of Government and the activities and networks of the religious sector- to the benefit of the most vulnerable citizens of our society.

A dual approach should also be taken involving the following:

Firstly, a consideration of proposals by the religious networks; secondly to explore joint new projects in partnership with religious networks, building capacity within the religious sector, and therefore ensuring fair access to all religious networks.

The areas of collaboration will be:early childhood development;

social housing and shelter; social cohesion; skills development;

and community- and home-based care.

The early childhood development plan will prioritise the provision of care to Children Centres in South Africa with particular focus on children from poor families in the 0-4 age group. The Department of Social Development will have massive registration drives for these centres in order to ensure quality provision for the most vulnerable young children. A

budget of R271 million was suggested as a sufficient amount for a plan such as this one.

The Social housing and shelter foundation will support pilot projects and a national indaba with the NRLF to clarify the technical process to access government subsidy for joint housing projects. This will have a budget for the next three years of R57 million.

Under social cohesion, the Department of Arts and Culture will invest in entrepreneurial activities and leadership capacity for the youth in the region of R26 million in the next 3 years.

The Department of Labour will improve the quality of learning materials and practice, and targets to train 7000 learners over the next 3 years within a budget of R22 million.

To strengthen and accelerate HIV  and AIDS prevention organisations, the Department of Health, in accordance with National Strategic Plan for 2007-2011, will do so within the first year budget of R7,4 million.

A National Communication and Consultative campaign is needed to inform all religious communities of the challenges South Africa is facing, as well as a review of the process of considering proposals received from religious communities.

Budgets allocations need to change to formal contracts for project execution and a joint funding strategy to raise additional resources from international agencies and ensuring fair access to all religious communities, is also in need.

Religious communities are important institutions in the formation of social trust; in the fostering of social cohesion a society. They play a crucial role in the formation of values such as tolerance, responsibility, respect for life, love for your neighbour. The functioning of our whole society presupposes these values and is based on the fact that there are citizens who take responsibility for one another. This is a form of social capital is created by those who care for others – the bridge builders of our society.

Success cannot be defined only in economic terms, but the

exact opposite is true: social stability and care for one another are conditions for a stable democracy, for a thriving economy.

Social cohesion depends on partnership and synergy between different sectors: on the one hand, faith-based and citizen initiatives are important for a vibrant civil society. On the other hand, it is the government’s policy, and support programmes that are responsible for creating the space and favourable conditions for partnerships in society. The synergy between

the initiatives of faith communities, citizens and government are the key to the building of social trust, social cohesion and a caring society.

The Zimbabwe situation was also discussed at length, where President Thabo Mbeki assured the Religious Leaders that talks between the opposition MDC and ZANU-PF (Government) were still on track, contrary to what newspapers are stating.

 By Rev. Athinodoros Papaevripiades

Archbishop Seraphim attends the ten year Celebration of the Electoral Commission

 Archbishop Seraphim of Johannesburg and Pretoria attended the ten year celebrations of the Electoral Commission of South Africa.

The programme opened with a viewing of a photo exhibition and then the guests moved through to the auditorium. Introductory remarks were done by Mr Sy Mamabolo, the Project Leader for the 10th Anniversary Celebrations.

The unveiling of the 10th Anniversary Logo was done by Mrs Thoko Mpumlwana, who holds the position of Vice-Chairperson of the IEC. The significance of the Logo is that the figure in the circle, holding the South African flag, represents all the voters of this country. The voter is clad in the corporate blue of the Electoral Commission (IEC) to reflect the diversity of the South African Nation. It honours the flag by holding it high. The corporate Logo of the Electorate Commission is placed near the heart of the voter symbolising the commitment of the IEC to the voters of South Africa. The message encircles the voter and the IEC and points up towards the flag which the voter holds with outstretched arms suggesting happiness and trust in our democracy. The overall feeling of the 10th Anniversary Logo is one of energy and joy.
 

A lecture was delivered by Professor Barney Pityana, the Vice-Chancellor of UNISA, on the state of democracy in South Africa.

During the cocktails, our Archbishop met high ranking officers from the government and the ANC where he discussed the plight of the Orthodox people in South Africa due to the high escalation of crime. He also discussed the social upliftment of the poor people of South Africa.

The celebration closed with a presentation of the forth-coming 10th Anniversary activities by the Chief Electoral Officer, Advocate Pansy Tlakula.
 

Rev. Athinodoros

Archbishop Seraphim meets Koffi Annan

 On Sunday 22nd of July, Archbishop Seraphim accompanied by Rev. Athinodoros attended the fifth annual Nelson Mandela lecture delivered by the former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. William J. Clinton delivered previous lectures of this kind, in 2003 as well as Desmond Tutu in 2004; Wangari Maatehai in 2005 and Thabo Mbeki in 2006. The Nelson Mandela annual lecture is the centrepiece of a wide-ranging dialogue programme. The annual lecture forms part of the annual celebrations of Mr Mandela’s birthday and creates an opportunity for leaders of an international standing to present their views on critical issues impacting society at large.

 The Nelson Mandela foundation through its “Centre of memory and dialogue”, seeks to contribute to a just society by promoting the vision and work of its founder and using his example to convene dialogue around critical social issues. Nelson Mandela based his entire life on the principle of dialogue, the art of listening and speaking to others heard in his own wise words: “I have always endeavoured to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my own opinion.”

 Nelson Mandela introduced Kofi Annan as the son of Africa and not of America, as everybody thinks. Annan delivered the fifth annual Nelson Mandela lecture at Wits University in Johannesburg. Not only Madiba himself attended the lecture, but also by deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Nqcuka, ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma, businessperson Tokyo Sexwale and many other dignitaries attended the event. Annan said the best attribute of Africa was the culture of reconciliation and tolerance embodied by leaders such as Mandela and seen in how war torn countries such as Liberia, Rwanda, Burundi and Sierra Leone have been “reclaimed from ashes of violence”. He said peace would endure when accompanied by economic and social developments. He stated that “violent conflicts continued to rage on many spots on the continent” and that “more than 300 million people south of Sahara live on less than one dollar a day.”

 Annan added that, “most Africans have come to recognise the high cost of conflict, the years of squandered development, the displacement of people, the enormous loss of life, and most realise that they need to work together to pacify the continent. Africans must guard against a pernicious, self-destructive form of racism that unites citizens to rise up and expel tyrannical leaders who are white, but to excuse tyrannical rulers who are black.”

 He also mentioned Darfur where he said “everyday in Darfur more men, woman and children are been driven from their homes. Villages are burned. Murder and rape are commonplace. Annan also mentioned the situation in Zimbabwe - how it is

economically and politically deteriorating amid South Africa’s attempt to facilitate and end to the crisis. The ever downward spiral of Zimbabwe is intolerable and unsustainable. We all have a stake in resolving the crisis.”

 Annan said that ten years ago African leaders viewed human rights as a rich country’s luxury. He called on African people to ostracise leaders who seize powers through military coups against elected governments. He said only when government was grounded in the rule of law could a society rest on solid foundation. Leaders must ensure that the rules are respected, that they protect the rights of property of individual citizens. Leaders must also hold themselves to the same rules and same restraints, and never above them.

 A cocktail reception was held at the end of the lecture, where our Archbishop Seraphim met Kofi Annan and they exchanged greetings with our Archbishop not missing a chance to talk to Annan about the Cyprus problem cause by the Turkish invasion.

 By Rev. Athinodoros Papaevripiades