Republic of South Africa
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REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, REPORT OF THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO SOUTH AFRICAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES TO THE STATE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, MR M VILJOEN May it please you: We, the undersigned, who were appointed under your hand as Chairman and members of the Commission, C.F. Elff Chairman Member Member /P. Oosthuiz F.G. Barr'e S.A. Patterson have the honour to report as follows:- Member Member TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Paragraph PART I INTRODUCTION Appointment, terms of reference and composition 1 1 Background to the appointment of the Commission 1 2 Appointments 13 3 Modus Operandi 14 4 Scheme of the Report 21 5 Acknowledgements 25 6 PART II CHAPTER 1 THE CONSTITUTIONAL AIMS AND STRUCTURES OF THE SACC AND ITS PRINCIPAL PROGRAMMES Nature of the SACC 26 1.1 Aims 26 1.2 Organisation of the SACC 27 1.3 SACC Office-bearers 29 1.4 Membership 29 1.5 Key officials of the SACC 30 1.6 Departmental structures 31 1.7 Church and Mission 34 1.8 Development and Service 37 1.9 Justice and Society 40 1.10 CHAPTER 2 THE INCEPTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES Introductory 55 2.1 The General Missionary Conference 56 2.2 Ecumenism 58 2.5 Cottesloe Consultation 59 2.6 "A Message to the People" 60 2.7 SPROCAS 61 2.8 CHAPTER 2 (cont.) Growing Black participation 65 2.9 The Programme to Combat Racism (PCR) 66 2.10 The Rees era 70 2.11 Relations between the SACC and SPROCAS 73 2.14 Factors affecting change 74 2.15 Establishment of the Division of Justice and Reconciliation 75 2.16 Establishment of Division of Theological Training 76 2.17 Christian Institute 77 2.18 The Wilgespruit Episode 81 2.19 Violence and Non-Violence 82 2.20 Black Consciousness 83 2.21 Hammanskraal 1974 84 2.23 SACC and the Dutch Reformed Churches 86 2.24 The first socio-political blueprint 87 2.25 The problem of limited support 88 2.26 Dr W. Kistner appointed as Director of DJR 90 2.28 Establishment of the Asingeni Fund 91 2.29 "Liberation" 94 2.30 The Ombudsman 97 2.31 Defrauding the SACC 97 2.32 Conscience in Conflict - Hammanskraal Revisited 98 2.34 Status Confessionis 99 2.35 Homelands policy 99 2.36 Foreign investments 100 2.37 Lack of co-operation among members 102 2.38 End of the Rees era 103 2.39 K~nigstein Conference 104 2.41 Dr Kistner's thinking 105 2.43 Page Paragraph Paragraph CHAPTER 2 (cont.1 TheadventofBishopTutu 107 2.44 WCC/PCR/SACC stance on revolution 108 2.45 SACC commitment to political change 110 2.46 Disinvestment: A lever for change 112 2.47 Radicals versus Moderates (1978L 113 2.49 Civil Disobedience (19791 113 2.50 Black Trade Unions 115 2.52 Financial Administration shortcomings 115 2.53 Mr Shun Chetty 118 2.54 The Danish Coal Episode 119 2.55 Status Confessionis 119 2.56 Withdrawal of Bishop Tutu's passport 121 2.57 Meeting with Prime Minister 121 2.58 Status Confessionis 127 2.59 Financial Administration shortcomings 127 2.60 The Rees prosecution 127 2.61 SACC/UDF/NF Alliance 130 2.64 Attitude to Evolutionary change 132 2.65 CHAPTER 3 THE REPRESENTATIVE NATURE OF THE SACC Membership 133 3.1 Relationship between the SACC and its members 135 3.7 CHAPTER 4 RELATIONS BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE Introduction 141 4.1 State view on role of the church 141 4.2 Theological perceptions General 141 4.3 Theological perception of the SACC 142 4.4 Page Paragraph CHAPTER 4 (cont.) Other perceptions 145 4.5 Commission's View 152 4.6 CHAPTER 5 SOME THEOLOGICAL PERCEPTIONS IN THE SACC Black Theology, Liberation Theology and Black Consciousness 153 5.1 Conclusion 159 5.2 CHAPTER 6 THE ANC AND VIOLENCE Introduction 161 6.1 The Kitwe and other consultations 165 6.2 Contacts between SACC and other bodies 169 6.3 The SACC and Violence 174 6.4 Legal and other aid 177 6.5 Media coverage of SACC utterances 178 6.6 commission's comment 179 6.7 CHAPTER 7 CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND POSITIVE NON-CO-OPERATION The 1979 Resolution 180 7.1 Dr W. Kistner and civil disobedience 181 7.2 Commission's comment 186 7.3 CHAPTER 8 THE SACC AND MILITARY SERVICE, THE DEFENCE FORCE AND THE CHAPLAINCY The 1974 Hammanskraal Resolution 188 8.1 Dedp concern of SADF 191 8.2 Attitude of certain churches 192 8.3 Conscience in conflict 193 8.4 Other organisations 194 8.5 Conscientious objection support groups 196 8.6 Blacks in the SADF 197 8.7 Page Paragraph CHAPTER 8 (cont.) Statement by Executive Committee 197 8.8 The Chaplaincy 198 8.9 Conclusions 199 8.10 CHAPTER 9 THE SACC AND THE DISINVESTMENT CAMPAIGN Starting point 201 9.1 New thinking in SACC 201 9.2 Investment in South Africa 202 9.3 Knigstein 1977 203 9.4 Draft disinvestment resolution 203 9.5 National Conference 1978 205 9.6 The Commission's view 208 9.7 Attitude of J and R 208 9.8 WCC support 210 9.9 Dr Kistner and the EKD 211 9.10 Bishop Tutu's endeavours 212 9.11 Conclusion 223 9.12 CHAPTER 10 THE SACC AND BLACK TRADE UNIONS Importance of organised Black labour 224 10.1 First physical involvement 225 10.2 Riekert and Wiehahn Reports 226 10.3 Meeting with Black Trade Unions 227 10.4 Financial support for Black Trade Unions 229 10.5 Trade Unions as change agents 230 10.6 Churches and labour 234 10.7 Conclusion 236 10.8 CHAPTER ii COMMUNICATIONS AND PROPAGANDA Introduction 237 11.1 viii Page Paragraph CHAPTER 11 (cont.) The development of communications within the SACC Communications strategy Comuunication methods The SACC and propaganda Propaganda style and thrust Local Black audiences Letter to Senator Kennedy Media Coverage Role of DJR International and local support Conclusion CHAPTER 12 THE SACC, RESETTLEMENTS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Introduction Task of DJR National Conference 1975 Implementation Methodology CHAPTER 13 THE SACC AND EDUCATION Motivation for involvement ABF Educational Opportunities Council CHAPTER 14 DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICE PROJECTS Introduction Various projects CHAPTER 15 LEGAL DEFENCES AND POLITICAL DETAINEES General 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 11.9 11.10 11.11 11.12 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 13.1 13.2 13.3 14.1 14.2 15.1 Page Paragraph CHAPTER 15 (cont.) "Political" Cases 286 15.2 Soweto Disturbances 287 15.3 Motivation for assistance 287 15.4 FELCSA Agreement 289 15.5 Conclusion 289 15.6 PART III: FINANCIAL AFFAIRS CHAPTER 16 SACC FUNDS: SOURCES AND ORIGIN Introduction 291 16.1 Fund-raising methods 292 16.2 Sources: Income of the SACC 297 16.3 Donations received 297 16.4 The West German donors 299 16.5 Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD. 300 16.6 The World Council of Churches 301 16.7 UNTFSA 304 16.8 Unknown sources 308 16.9 IUEF 308 16.10 Interkerkelijke Co5rdinatie Commissie Ontwikkelingsprojekten (ICCO) (Inter-Church Co-ordinating Clommission for Development Projects) 311 16.11 The Netherlands 316 16.12 Switzerland 317 16.13 Denmark 317 16.14 United States of America 318 16.15 Sweden 318 16.16 The United Kingdom 319 16.17 Canada 319 16.18 Norway 319 16.19 Finland 320 16.20 Multinational 320 16.21 Other small foreign donors 320 16.22 Page Paragraph CHAPTER 16 (cont.) Foreign sources not specified 320 16.23 Sundry 321 16.24 Local donors 321 16.25 Foreign Governments 322 16.26 Unacceptable sources 323 16.27 CHAPTER 17 THE SACC'S INCOME AND THE APPLICATION OF ITS FUNDS Income 324 17.1 Application of funds 325 17.2 Asingeni 330 17.3 Dependants' Conference (DC) including Ecumenical Trust Fund (ETF) 335 17.4 Ecumenical Trust Fund 340 17.5 African Bursary Fund 341 17.6 Justice and Reconciliation 342 17.7 Trust Funds 343 17.8 CHAPTER 18 FINANCIAL PROCEDURES AND CONTROLS Introduction 346 18.1 Recent History 346 18.2 Finance Office 348 18.3 Financial Control 348 18.4 Findings of the investigating accountants 350 18.5 Adequacy of financial record keeping 355 18.6 CHAPTER 19 AUDIT REQUIREMENTS AND FINANCES Audit Requirements 358 19.1 Auditors 359 19.2 Audit responsibilities 359 19.3 Auditors' reports 361 19.4 Page Paragraph CHAPTER 19 (cont.) Independent investigation by Mr T.S. Potter 377 19.5 Conclusions 382 19.6 CHAPTER 20 THE SHUN CHETTY AFFAIR Introduction 386 20.1 Chetty's flight 386 20.2 The factual position 391 20.3 The role of Mr Barrett 400 20.4 The role of Bishop Tutu 410 20.7 Comment on Mr Barrett's actions 411 20.8 Possible "Cover-up" 412 20.9 CHAPTER 21 FINANCIAL IRREGULARITIES Introduction 414 21.1 Non-verifiable payments 414 21.2 Comment 415 21.3 Known instances of irregularities 416 21.4 The Rees case 417 21.5 Contemporaneous events 418 21.6 SACC reaction to the Rees judgment 422 21.7 Reaction of overseas donors 424 21.8 Conclusion 426 21.9 PART IV: SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS 427 - 443 APPENDIX A LIST OF PERSONS WHO GAVE ORAL EVIDENCE 444 - 445 APPENDIX B BIBLIOGRAPHY 446 - 448 APPENDIX C LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 449 - 451 Page PART I: INTRODUCTION 1.