A national mobilisation call went out on Thursday (February 26) as the South African Church Defenders (SACD) urged Christians across the country to join its upcoming march in Durban, warning that constitutional freedoms were under threat from ongoing attempts to regulate churches.

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The announcement was made during a media briefing held yesterday (Thursday) at Gateway Church, where SACD chairperson Pastor Mpfariseni Mukhuba addressed media following the organisation’s recent engagement with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

Call to action ahead of 12 March march

The SACD confirmed that a large-scale Christian march will take place in Durban on March 12, beginning at King Dinizulu Park and proceeding to the Durban City Hall. The organisation has called on Christians, church leaders and congregants from across the country to join the peaceful demonstration.

“This matter cannot be confined to courtrooms and committee rooms,” the organisation said. “It concerns the protection of religious freedoms in South Africa.”

Concerns over Section 22 Committee and CRL

The SACD reiterated its stance that the Section 22 Committee — tasked with exploring self-regulation in the religious sector — is unconstitutional and must be disbanded. The organisation has already approached the High Court seeking to have the committee declared unlawful.

It also repeated its strong criticism of the CRL (Cultural Religious and Linguistics) Rights Commission, saying the entity continues to promote frameworks that threaten church autonomy despite previous parliamentary rejections of similar proposals.

The SACD further restated its call for the suspension of the CRL’s chairperson, Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, following a series of public statements the organisation has described as offensive, hostile and “blasphemous”. According to the SACD, the comments raise serious questions about impartiality within a Chapter 9 institution mandated to protect constitutional rights.

Engagement with Parliament continues

The SACD confirmed that it made formal submissions to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on February 11, warning of “ongoing threats to church independence” and “constitutional overreach”.

The organisation said the committee received the submissions seriously and acknowledged the implications raised.

Mobilisation to continue

The SACD said it will continue its national mobilisation efforts, including further marches if necessary, until there is clarity, accountability and constitutional compliance from government structures.

“As long as the Chairperson of the CRL Rights Commission remains in office without accountability, the SACD will continue peaceful, lawful marches across the country,” it said.

“We are not marching out of hatred. We are marching to defend a constitutional right — freedom of religion.”

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