Masabalala Bonnie Yengwa: World Church Support for Liberation Movements

Masabalala Bonnie Yengwa: World Church Support for Liberation Movements

(Extracts from a Report Provided by M.B. Yengwa on the Role of the World Church Movement in the Fight Against Imperialism, Racism, Colonialism and Apartheid, 9 February 1971).

“During the past year (1970) world church and religious leaders have moved significantly in their opposition to apartheid and they have taken some far-reaching decisions to assist those who struggle against it. Strong resolutions condemning racism taken at the international level have been followed up by action to help eliminate it, representing a welcome change from the traditional pious condemnation and learned sermonizing of the past.

“Of special importance is the decision of the World Council of Churches (W.C.C.) Central Committee last September to allocate grants to liberation movements including the African National Congress. This step triggered off a world-wide debate on the morality of the use of violence to resist race oppression. The discussion rages yet, and Archbishop Ramsey, who ought to have learnt better on his South African tour has now come out in opposition to the W.C.C. decision. Others have shown a similar faintheartedness, but the W.C.C. has stood firm and we have no doubt that its position will come to be accepted in time by most of its affiliates.

“There were no hesitations in the ranks of the liberation movements or among the racially oppressed peoples who congratulated the W.C.C. on this courageous, Christian act. It has been doubly welcomed since it is based on a realisation that ‘it is not enough for churches and groups to condemn the sin of racial arrogance and oppression. The struggle for radical change in structures will inevitably bring suffering and will demand costly and bitter engagement.’

“In its efforts to combat racism the leaders of the church have said that religion will come up against powerful, entrenched forces which have helped to sustain racism, and which derive special economic, political and social benefits from it. It will first have to contend with the member churches themselves, who have branches and institutions in racist regimes of Southern Africa and whose White members help to keep the church rich and powerful. They have no desire to abdicate their position of power and superiority attained purely on the basis of their colour.

“The churches in South Africa have already condemned the decision of the World Council of Churches on the ground that it implies support for organisations whose purpose it is to change the social order in South Africa by the use of force. The church in South Africa suffers from the fact that it identifies itself with white South Africans, in many ways it is itself a white institution deriving its power and influence from a white government. Its effective leaders are white even where the majority of its followers are black. The fault is therefore not with the World Council of Churches but with the Church in South Africa that has identified itself with a Government which resists social change (i.e. racial equality) by the use of force.

SOUTH AFRICAN CHURCH HAS FAILED

“The church in South Africa has failed to disassociate itself from the actions of a Government which claims to be Christian but practices the most un-Christian policy of racial and social repression like Adolf Hitler did. It is the Church in South Africa which has given implied support for the equipping of the South African armed forces budget with the tax payers’ (Christian and non-Christian) money amounting to over R271,000,000 (1970s rates). This army’s task is to defend the status quo in South Africa – the perpetuation of a racist, fascist dictatorship. This same army has previously been used to crush unarmed – non-violent demonstrators protesting against racial oppression.

“The South African churches have also done nothing to protest against the supply of arms by Britain and France. They have not opposed the collection of monies for the relief of Portuguese soldiers in Mozambique and Angola. Nor have they acted with any seriousness against the Government’s continuing violent suppression of our own freedom struggle. On the contrary their own discriminatory policies in the Church have led to numerous protest actions led by Black clergy who are heartily sick of the hypocritical condescension offered them. There has yet to be seen any deep going reassessment of Church practice in South Africa such as would lead to its dissociation from the discriminatory institutions of the system as a whole.

“Objections by the South African Churches to the W.C.C. grants have been equalled by the Government which reacted quickly and predictably against the W.C.C. They said, ‘This task was the work of communists and those for whom the downfall of South Africa is more important than the Word of God’. If the subtle psychological play on words to mean the exact opposite where not so successful, we would find some amusement in these jokes. But this is no joke at all. Mr Vorster and his followers do indeed seem to believe that ‘Communism and the downfall of South Africa’ are more important than the Word of God. Such is the ignorance that is begotten by stupid prejudice and isolation.

WE REPENT OUR SHARE

“Apart from the W.C.C. other religionists are also re-examining the old and outmoded positions they adopted in Colonialist days and they are increasingly challenging the hold citadels in Canterbury and Cape Town. In a conference of religious leaders from all over the world – held in Kyoto, Japan, in October, last year – a resolution was unanimously passed condemning racism and urging support for those engaged in the struggle against racism. ‘The World Conference on Religion and Peace bringing together in Kyoto men and women of religious faith from the ends of the earth has concerned itself with the urgency of the explosive situation in Southern Africa.

“‘It is our judgement that the brutality of apartheid in Southern Rhodesia, South Africa and Namibia, and the repressive colonialist exploitation in Angola and Mozambique represents a situation of racial war against the African peoples with all the consequent destruction of human life typical of other wars raging in today’s world.

“‘Therefore, as men and women of religious faith,

1. We repent our own share – directly or indirectly – in the perpetuation of structures that entrench racial discrimination in Southern Africa.

2. We condemn the involvement of our religions and other nations in this system of violence to man’s humanity based on racism.

3. We call upon all governments to implement the measures they have already adopted in the United Nations, and to support further mandatory sanctions aimed at creating conditions conducive to justice, liberation and peace in Southern Africa.

4. We plead especially for the fullest implementation of sanctions against Rhodesia and for the extension of mandatory economic sanctions against South Africa.

5. We plead with the allies of Portugal – especially NATO allies to terminate immediately all form of military assistance that enables Portugal to wage war in her African colonies.

6. We demand an immediate end to all types of military assistance to South Africa, including the sale of arms and condemn all such assistance and collaboration with evil as abhorrent to all the values cherished by humanity.

7. We urge the full support by our religions for the victims of racism and colonialism and for those involved in the struggle to bring justice, liberation and peace in Southern Africa.

8. We address this resolution to the Secretary General of the United Nations Organisation and urge him to transmit its contents to the member States of that organisation.’

“Addressing the Kyoto conference, Dr Blake, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, had an answer to those who hid behind the status quo and law and order. He declared that ‘an unjust social system on national or international levels, however peaceful and orderly it might appear on the surface, is potentially and actually a war situation. Wherever and whenever a group or a nation dominates and exploits other groups or nations, a neatly camouflaged state of war actually exists which may erupt into open war at any time.

“‘The exploiting groups or nations maintain the status quo using either brute force or some subtle means of psychological violence. In the name of law and order they often try by force to prevent the oppressed groups from challenging their position of privilege. Those who are committed to a dynamic peace recognise the hypocrisy of such a stance. In such situations certain disruptions of superficial calm and peace are inevitable and even necessary in order to establish true and lasting peace. Stable and lasting peace can only be built on social justice.’

“Another speaker at this conference, Archbishop Helder Camara of Brazil, said: ‘The plight of the millions of people in Africa, Asia and Latin America is as much the result of built-in injustice in the international framework of our present-day world as of the built-in injustice in their own societies’.

“Soon after the Kyoto conference there was a conference in London of Pax Christi, a Catholic organisation committed to world peace which had delegates from most of the countries of Western Europe. Like the Kyoto conference – the London Pax Christi conference passed a resolution on Southern Africa which condemned racism and pledged support for the organisations fighting against racial oppression. At about the same time the Pope received in audience leaders of the liberation movements in the three Portuguese colonies in Africa, after the conclusion of the successful Rome solidarity conference.

END INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

“The gestures by church leaders throughout the world in support of the just cause of liberation from social oppression have met with violent opposition from vested interests in church circles in South Africa. In opposing the decision of the W.C.C. the South African Council of Churches has stated that its reason is that the decision implies support for violence. The South African Church is the last organisation that should complain of implied support for violence. They are wholly culpable themselves. Have they not been bolstering a regime of violence and thriving on their share of the proceeds?

“It is unlikely that the W.C.C. will be put off by such spurious opposition. The requests made by the ANC to the W.C.C. were modest enough. We asked for and obtained commitments of support for social welfare, health, educational and legal aid programmes. The requests were not for military aid. Even then the requests must be seen in the context of the present situation. Violence in South Africa is not of the choosing of the African National Congress and other liberation movements, it has been brought about by a system that denies human beings political and economic rights solely on the grounds of their colour and keeps them in subjection by sheer force. The world has come to recognise this and has expressed its recognition of the justness of our cause in many ways.

“In the present case, the W.C.C. grants to the liberation movements are only a small part of its programme to combat racism throughout the world and White racism in Southern Africa in particular. It is to be hoped that nothing will deter the W.C.C. from its planned activities.

“The Church must play its part in a major offensive for the isolation of South Africa. It must influence its membership to take part in a world wide campaign to press Governments and individual firms to stop all arms sales to South Africa, to withdraw investments there, to break off diplomatic relations, and sever all trade, sport and other relations.

“The Church can undoubtedly play a major part in bringing an end to all international collaboration with racist South Africa. By turning to this task with energy it will not only contribute to the success of the U.N. sponsored 1971 International Year Against Racism, but it will also contribute magnificently to the downfall of a regime which daily violates the principles of justice and human dignity.

– Masabalala Bonnie Yengwa –
(9 February 1971)

(Masabalala Bonnie Yengwa was a stalwart leader of the African National Congress, born on 5 December 1923 near Maphumulo, in Natal. He died on 21 July 1987 in London and cremated at the Golden Green Crematorium on 26 July 1987).

Sources:
Masabalala Bonnie Yengwa, “World Church Support for Liberation Movements”, Sechaba, Vol. 5, No. 4, April 1971, pp. 8 – 9.
Obituary, “Masabalala Bonnie Yengwa”, Sechaba, September Issue, 1987.

Castro Khwela
Good evening fellow Compatriots!