SACC Church Leaders to Hold Countrywide Silent Prayers Against Corruption
Media Advisory
14 September 2020
Issued by the office of the SACC General Secretary, Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana.
Tomorrow the South African Council of Churches (SACC) National Church Leaders, who have dedicated the month of September to a campaign against COVID-19 corruption, will stand in silent prayer in all nine provinces to declare that ‘Corruption is Not Our Heritage’.
“We are calling it a ‘performance of silence’ because the churches are speechless at this level of revolting fraud,” said Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, General Secretary, SACC.
The campaign follows the moral call against COVID-19 corruption issued on 7 August this year, by the group of six organisations, who call themselves the Moral Call Collective. The collective is made up of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, the Foundation for Human Rights, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and the South African Council of Churches.
“As the SACC we have dedicated this Heritage month to a campaign that will denounce corruption as being part of the South African identity. We are saying as the churches, and active citizens, that we refuse for our nation’s culture and heritage to be one of stealing, and defrauding of public resources. Corruption, especially this blatant looting of COVID-19 funds that has been reported, is criminal and continues to cost us lives and livelihoods as a country,” said Bishop Mpumlwana.
The National Church Leaders will take an hour in total standing together in silence and carrying anti-corruption messages on placards, with the hashtag #CorruptionIsNotMyHeritage. They will stage their silent performance in front of various key national and provincial locations, including the Union Buildings where the SACC General Secretary will lead that performance.
The silent performance event will be opened by the SACC General Secretary, with closing remarks by the SACC President, Bishop Ziphozihle Siwa, who is based in the Eastern Cape and will be speaking from the provincial capital, Bisho.
National Church Leaders Performance against COVID-19 Corruption:
Date: 15 September 2020:
Time: 12:00-13:00
Host: Ms Karabo Mamabolo II
Note: Only Church leaders to participate: NO invitation to members of the public.
| 11:55 |
Church Leaders pray |
All: Various locations |
| 12:00 |
Host opening remarks and program layout |
Ms Karabo Mamabolo II |
| 12:03 |
Remarks: Corruption is Not Our Heritage Campaign |
Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, General Secretary, SACC |
| 12:06 |
Silent performance |
First group of 5 Church Leaders |
| 12:16 |
Messages from the provinces |
- Eastern Cape
- Limpopo
- North West
|
| 12:22 |
Silence performance |
Second group of 5 Church Leaders |
| 12:32 |
Messages from the provinces |
- Kwa-Zulu Natal
- Free State
- Gauteng
|
| 12:38 |
Silent Performance |
Third group of 5 Church Leaders |
| 12:42 |
Messages from provinces |
- Mpumalanga
- Northern Cape
- Western Cape
|
| 12:48 |
Closing remarks and Prayer |
Bishop Ziphozihle Siwa, SACC President |
| 13:00 |
End Programme |
SACC Anti-Corruption Campaign Activities and Services:
Below is the timeline of the SACC anti-corruption campaign activities and services, starting with the launch event that took place in August and leading up to the culmination of the, in an inter-faith service to close of the Heritage month campaign programme.
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Launch SACC Churches Anti-Corruption Campaign – Service of Lament and Protest Against COVID19 Corruption. |
|
|
Webinar on the Anatomy of Corruption |
|
|
National Church Leaders Silent Performance |
|
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Service with the Archbishop of Canterbury: for Gratitude, Courage and hope |
|
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Webinar on the Civil Society Manifesto |
|
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Inter-faith service: Corruption is not our Heritage |
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