PO Box 23632 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa
2016 Edition 3 T: 021 689 4481
F: 021 685 5884
info@christianaction.org.za
www.christianaction.org.za
“Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim the good news of His Salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all…” 1 Chronicles 16:23-25
Eurochor in Cape Town
We praise God for a most blessed, inspiring and empowering series of Reformation celebration events and outreaches in Cape Town. Making this year’s Reformation celebrations absolutely unique was the arrival of the Eurochor. With over 140 members drawn from Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Switzerland, this International Christian Youth Choir has thrilled audiences throughout the world with their multilingual, varied, colourful and captivating concerts.
Guidance and Planning
It was at the Youth Conference at KwaSizabantu Mission, July this year that I learned of the possibility of the Eurochor visiting Cape Town. I immediately issued an invitation and our Mission moved into high gear in seeking out suitable venues. As we prayed for wisdom and guidance, it became immediately clear that the
ideal venue for an open-air outreach at a public venue would be the Amphitheatre at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, preferably for a Saturday afternoon performance. There was no question that the ideal venue for Reformation Sunday service would be the Strand Street Lutheran church. Not only is this the oldest Lutheran church in the Southern
FREEDOM of RELIGION at RISK Regulating Religion
The ANC government is advocating a series of legislation that could pose some of the greatest threats to religious freedom and free speech ever seen in our country. On 26 October 2016, the CRL Rights Commission released its report on what they called the “Commercialisation” of religion and “abuse of people’s belief systems.”
Redefining Hate Speech
In another threat to religious freedom, the “Hate Speech” Bill was released in the same week as the CRL’s Report. The Bill’s extremely broad definition of
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hate speech, under section 4 of the Bill, includes in its scope any communication which is considered “abusive or insulting” and intended to “bring into contempt or ridicule” a person, or group of persons, on the basis of their gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc. This includes email, or social media communications, as well as teachings from a pulpit, or in a Bible study. Instead of an objective definition of what constitutes “hate speech” (for example those who sing “Kill the Boer! Kill the Farmer!” or those advocating Islamic Jihad to behead Christians), this bill seeks to focus on subjective definitions of where an Continued on page 2
Continued from page 1 Freedom of Religion at Risk
individual may feel offended, even if that was not the intention. “He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.” Proverbs 17:15
There is No Need for New Laws to Deal with Abuses
The CRL’s Report proposes state regulation of churches and other religious groups. There are always abuses, in any area of life, including in religion. However, the answer is not to ask, or allow, state authorities to interfere in religious freedom. With regulation come penalties and severe consequences. There are already laws that deal with issues of commercial exploitation and abuse. There is no need for new laws. Fraud, misappropriation of funds, contravening banking, or advertising, laws, educational laws and others give more than enough opportunities for the relevant authorities to prosecute crimes.
State Regulation of Religion has had Disastrous Consequences
If we do not learn from history then we will suffer consequences. Regulating religion has a very disturbing history. The establishment of the Council for the Affairs of Religions and Cults in the Soviet Union (later the Council for Religious Affairs) led to the closing down of 49,000 churches and the execution of over 200,000 ministers by the Cheka, NKVD and KGB in Russia. Unregistered Churches, including over 10,000 house churches in Cuba, have been closed and many thousands of Christian leaders arrested under their secular state. Last year (2015), over 2,000 churches linked to the legally recognised Assemblies of God denomination were declared illegal by the Cuban government. In Red China, arrests, raids and demolitions of churches that are considered unregistered are taking place to this day.
What State Interference Looks Like in Schools
State abuses are huge in their own schools. Sex education, occultic setwork books, teaching the mechanics of vile fornication, whoremongering and perversion, along with actual child abuse and paedophilia by state teachers are rampant. Yet, rather than cleaning up their own acts in their own state schools, the ANC government prefers to send “inspectors” to harass and waste the time and money of private and Christian schools. The Education Department admits that most of their state schools are “dysfunctional” and yet they still think they have the time to harass private Christian schools, which have far higher standards and far better results.
State Registration of Colleges has Resulted in Extra Expenses and Waste of Time
Even Bible colleges as respected as the Bible Institute have been placed on the list of Bogus Institutions by the Ministry of Higher Education! State universities have riots and arson attacks, yet they presume to lecture us on higher education! State Regulation of Christian Community Radio Stations have Resulted in Closures Similarly, there have been numerous attempts of the state to regulate Christian Community radio stations and numerous Christian radio stations have actually been closed down by the IBA and ICASA.
Dangerous Precedents
Registering is just the first step to regulating, controlling and in many cases, closing down, prosecuting and persecuting. The history of Departments of Religious Affairs in the Soviet Union, Red China, Cuba, Mozambique, Angola, Ethiopia, North Korea, Vietnam, etc. should be an urgent warning as to what is at stake. These are dangerous laws and they are setting dangerous precedents to intimidate, erode, subvert, derail,
undermine, side-line and overwhelm Christian ministries. “But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.” Acts 4:19 Clear and Immediate Threat to Freedom The lack of consultation in the process followed and the magnitude and scope of the legislation envisaged poses a clear and immediate threat to religious freedom in South Africa. It is absolutely essential that Christians stand up, speak out and oppose this attempt at interfering in religious freedom, freedom of association and freedom of speech in South Africa. Religious Freedom is Not Negotiable.
Reject and Resist All Attempts to Erode Religious Freedom
John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrims Progress, ended up in prison, because he was a dissenter, not recognised by the state. The proposed bills seek to define what a “recognised religion” is and to “issue and withdraw licences” to religious leaders, to “define and authorise places of worship” under “operating licences”. All of this constitutes unnecessary, time wasting, money wasting, intrusion that can only do violence to the Bill of Rights and the fundamental rights to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, freedom of worship, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and freedom of association. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage…. For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:1,13
Action You and Your Congregation Can Take
The CRL Rights commission has invited comments on the Report. Comments can be submitted directly to the Commission at info@crlrightscommission.org.za. Then the Department of Justice released its draft “Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill” (www.justice.gov.za/legislation/ bills/2016/hatecrimes/hatespeechbill.pdf. The department is intending to introduce the Bill to parliament, March 2017. Comments can be submitted directly to the Department of Justice at hatecrimes@justice.gov.za. “As free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.”1 Pet 2:16 Dr. Peter Hammond
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Continued from page 1 Reformation Celebrations with the EuroChor
hemisphere, but it is also the oldest Protestant house of worship still in operation in Southern Africa. Archival records date back to the 1740s and the present building was constructed in 1771 and officially opened 1780.
Answers to Prayer
By God’s grace, both of these venues were confirmed with the V&A Waterfront Management willing to make the Amphitheatre available, free of charge, for such a unique International and cultural celebration. The Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Strand Street was delighted to hear of the possibility of hosting the Eurochor as an integral part of their 499th Reformation Sunday celebration service. For Reformation Day, Monday, 31 October, we knew that the best venue would have to be the Huguenot Monument, where we have conducted Reformation Day celebration services for two decades and the Dutch Reformed Church in Franschhoek was also willing to have us use their beautiful wood-panelled church for the Eurochor concert on Reformation Day afternoon. So, by God’s grace, not only was the Eurochor available during the last days of October for Reformation celebration events and outreaches in Cape Town, but the ideal venues were also available and open for our programme.
Brilliant Sunshine
We had to pray for good weather as open-air outreaches can be somewhat dampened by rain, which in Cape Town is always possible. However we could not have prayed for better weather. The choir performed in brilliant sunshine at the open-air Amphitheatre at the Waterfront, with seagulls flying overhead. In fact, with the Eurochor coming as they did from Autumn in Europe to Spring in Africa, one of our concerns was the sensitive skins of so many of the choir being afflicted with sunburn, after being hours in the open.
The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront Amphitheatre and catering for such a large choir was a challenge, which KwaSizabantu Mission, aQuellé and Frontline worked together to overcome. We praise God for each and every one who had a hand in making this Mission to South Africa and outreaches and ministry in Cape Town such a magnificent and successful time.
A Clash of Cultures
The Word of God declares: “Wisdom calls aloud outside, she raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, at the openings of the gates in the city she speaks her words.” Proverbs 1:20-21. The Waterfront in Cape Town must be one of the busiest thoroughfares and most popular tourist destination in the country. The stands were filling up even as the choir was setting up their equipment and preparing for the performance. Shortly before the 3pm scheduled beginning of the performance, there were the sounds of drums and a Halloween march went past. Several
of our Mission workers offered some Living Waters Africa Halloween tracts to the participants. Some interesting conversations resulted.
Spiritual Warfare
We were only a few minutes into the inspiring presentations of the choir and orchestra, when Waterfront Management informed us that there had been a complaint about open-air preaching and they would have to close down our performance. Rev. Erlo Stegen has said: “Where the Spirit of God is at work then we must expect the spirit of evil to fight back.” First Tershia, and then I, interceded and sought to persuade the Management that the complaint they had received was not justified. Listening to the enthusiastic applause and warm reception, which the Eurochor was receiving from the crowds overflowing the stands and supporting their presentations, even from the upper level balconies, it was obvious that most of the shoppers and tourists were very appreciative and
Logistical Challenges
The logistics of transporting, housing
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supportive. Few of the participants would have been aware of the spiritual warfare going on in the background at this unique event.
Amazing Grace
The choir sang: “His Name is Wonderful, Let us Praise God Together, Speak to my Soul, O it is Wonderful to be Christian, Make me a Channel of Your Peace, Take my Life and Let it be Consecrated Lord to Thee, and I Will Serve Thee.” When the choir began singing “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me…” many in the audience joined in singing.
To the Glory of God Alone
Singing under the intense heat of mid-afternoon sun, we were also well aware of the blessings from Heaven that were accompanying this dynamic public witness to the Glory of God. After the performance, which received a standing ovation from many in the crowds, evangelistic discussions took place. Soon we could see people engrossed in reading Gospel
tracts and booklets and engaged in evangelistic discussions.
the tune, even though they could not understand the words. What they were hearing was: A Mighty Fortress is our God, Dr. Martin Luther’s great battle hymn of the Reformation, being sung in Ovimbundu. This beloved hymn, based on Psalm 46, is one of the favourite hymns of the persecuted church and one of the most translated hymns in history. A banner was stretched across the road, proclaiming, 31 October 1517. It was Reformation Day!
The Oldest Lutheran Church in SA The Reformation Sunday service at the historic Lutheran church in Cape Town, was a never-to-beforgotten experience. The large Lutheran Church was packed upstairs and downstairs, with over 600 worshippers. The choir began with Wachet Auf and “Surely, surely, He hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows… He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him,” from Handel’s Messiah.
The 5 Solas of the Reformation
Why Celebrate the Reformation?
This is the Greatest Gift
In my address to the congregation, I spoke of 22 years ago, when our Frontline Fellowship Mission team was approaching a remote village in Cuando Cubango province (what the Portuguese referred to as The Ends of the Earth) in Angola. The team heard the sound of enthusiastic singing. They immediately recognised
School children had posters and projects with hand drawings of Reformers, Dr. Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, Willian Tyndale and John Calvin. The great battle cries of the Reformation were boldly displayed: Sola Scriptura! Sola Gratia! Sola Fide! Solus Christus! Soli Deo Gloria. Christ alone is the Head of the Church. Scripture alone is our authority. Salvation is by the grace of God alone. Justification is received by Faith alone. Everything is to be done for the glory of God alone. These Ovimbundu believers had suffered so much. Their church buildings have been destroyed by communists. They effectively have no Bibles. What was left of the few Bibles and hymn books that they had possessed were now in tatters. When they received Scriptures, they declared: “This is the greatest Gift
Strand Street Lutheran Church
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At the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek
anyone could ever ask for! The Word of God in our own language!”
Rebuked and Inspired
We were inspired and rebuked by the steadfast devotion of these Ovimbundu believers. Here they were, at what had been described as the ends of the earth, and they were celebrating Reformation Day. Since then, we have resolved to celebrate 31 October as the birthday of all Protestant, Evangelical, Bible-believing churches.
Seeking First the Kingdom of God It was Dr. Martin Luther’s earnest quest for peace with God and his intense study of the Scriptures, which led him to challenge the unethical fundraising tactics, superstitions and unbiblical practises of the papacy. This launched the Protestant Reformation. The Lord Jesus Christ taught: “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
It is the Truth That Sets Us Free It was Martin Luther’s love for the Word of God and his dedication to truth that led him to challenge the entire ecclesiastical and political authority of the Roman Catholic papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.
a life of Repentance.” Professor Luther maintained that no sacrament can take away our responsibility to respond to Christ’s command to true repentance, evidenced by outward change, a transformation and renewal of our entire life. Luther emphasised that it is God alone who can forgive sins and indulgences are a fraud.
Here I Stand
Summoned before the Emperor, Martin Luther declared: “Unless I am convinced by Scripture, or by clear reasoning, that I am in error - for popes and councils have often erred and contradicted themselves - I cannot recant, for I am subject to the Scriptures I have quoted; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. It is unsafe and dangerous to do anything against ones conscience. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. So help me God. Amen.”
God is our Ultimate Authority
In this courageous stand, Martin Luther argued for freedom of conscience, based upon the authority of Scripture. From these foundational principles, flowed constitutional
authority. The principle is Lex Rex (the Law is King!). No one is above God’s Law. Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Everyone is under God’s Law. Sola Scriptura eroded the foundations of political and ecclesiastical totalitarianism.
Foundations for Freedom
The Protestant emphasis on the priesthood of all believers and the supreme authority of Scripture led to the concept of representative governments and constitutional authority as the supreme law of the land. By emphasising the Biblical doctrine of Faith as a gift of God, Dr. Luther undermined the Catholic Inquisition and provided Theological foundations for religious liberty and freedom of conscience. The social and political implications of all this was enormous. The priesthood of all believers and the doctrine of Sola Scriptura led to constitutionalism, the concept of representative governments, religious liberty, freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association, checks and balances
Repentance Not Indulgences On 31 October 1517, Dr. Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses onto the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. The 95 Theses begins with repentance: “Since our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ says: ‘Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near’, He wants the whole life of a believer to be
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and all the other out-workings of political and social freedom.
Back to the Bible
There is no doubt that the Back to the Bible Reformation movement in Europe during the 16th Century was one of the most important epochs in history. Today we need a new Back to the Bible Reformation and we need to seek God and earnestly pray for a new Heaven sent Holy Spirit empowered Revival.
Reformation Day in Franschhoek
On Reformation Day, Monday, 31 October, we gathered for a noon day Reformation celebration service at the Huguenot Monument in scenic Franschhoek. Surrounded by spectacular scenery with mountains, vineyards and forests, the Eurochor led us in singing A Mighty Fortress is our God. Visitors travelled from as far away as Villiersdorp, Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Alexandria, Port Elizabeth and KwaZulu/Natal to participate in these special Reformation Day events. In the afternoon the Eurochor treated us to a concert in the beautiful, woodpanelled Dutch Reformed Church which had been a site of Revival in the days of Andrew Murray. The galleries and side-wings testify to the tremendous expansion of the original rectangular church that occurred as a result of that Heaven-sent Revival. That was the prayer of our hearts: “Will You not Revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?” Psalm 85:6
Live in the Light of Eternity Here at one of the most historically significant times and places, under brilliant sunshine, at a most
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spectacular and scenic venue, this International Christian Youth Choir lifted our hearts, souls and minds heavenward as their Scripture songs overflowed our hearts and minds and caused us to focus on what really matters in the light of eternity. Many of their songs became our prayers: “Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to Thee, Make me a Channel of Your Peace, I will serve Thee because I love Thee. You have given life to me, I was nothing before You found me, You have given life to me, heartaches, broken pieces, ruined lives are why You died on Calvary. Your touch was what I longed for, You have given life to me.”
Worship in Spirit and in Truth
“Speak to my soul, dear Jesus, speak now in tenderous tone, whisper in loving kindness, Thou art not left alone. Open my heart to hear Thee, quickly to hear Thou Voice, fill Thou my soul with praises, let me in Thee rejoice.” “Life has purpose now it never had before. There is meaning to each day and even more; for a joy and peace I cannot explain is mine, since I found new life in Christ My Lord Divine. O it is Wonderful to be a Christian; I it is Wonderful to have sins forgiven; O it is wonderful to be redeemed, justified forever, reconciled!”
Learning from History
The Museum could barely accommodate the crowds who came to have a guided tour through the Huguenot Museum. I led a guided tour before the Reformation Day service and one afterwards, just before the afternoon concert.
To Move the World
At the beginning of the Eurochor
Concert in the Dutch Reformed Church, I mentioned the Greek Engineer Archimedes who, referring to the wonders of the lever, declared: “If I had a place to stand, I could move the world.” In principle, the capacity of a lever is unlimited. An ordinary weakling can move a rock the size of a house. All that he would need would be a fulcrum, a pole strong enough that it would not break and long enough to multiply the force, that and a place to stand. The force multiplying physics of the lever are a function of distance. The heavier the object, or the weaker the person trying to move it, the longer the pole would need to be and the further away from it you would need to stand. However, with the right fulcrum, the right bar and the right distance, all you would need to do would be to push the lever down and the boulder, no matter how heavy it was, would move. So, theoretically, Archimedes famously declared: “With the right fulcrum, bar and distance, you could put a lever to planet earth and move the world itself, as long as you had a place to stand.”
Luther Changed the World
Professor Martin Luther moved the world. He changed history because he had a place to stand. Dr. Martin Luther declared: “My conscience is captive to the Word of God. Here I stand!” Our Lord Jesus Christ declared that our Faith would be able to move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Martin Luther’s Faith moved the world because he had a place to stand. He stood on the Word of God. The fulcrum he used was the Gospel. This was balanced on the bar of the Law of God. Dr. Martin Luther actually
confirm any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Romans 12:2
Confronting Cowardice fulfilled what the Greek Engineer, Archimedes, had hypothesised about. Standing on the Word of God, using the bar of the Law of God and the fulcrum of the Gospel, Martin Luther’s Faith not only moved mountains, it changed the world. It brought an end to the Middle Ages and ushered in the modern world. The Protestant Reformation and the resultant scientific revolution and industrial revolution produced the most productive, prosperous and free nations in the history of the world. All because Luther had a place to stand and he made his stand on the unchangeable Word of Almighty God.
Commissioning Service
One of the many significant events of our Reformation Day celebration service at Franschhoek, was setting aside and commissioning the first of our Africa Reformation Overland Mission teams who will travel across 14 nations in Southern, Central and East Africa, God willing, as far as South Sudan, conducting Soul Winning Seminars, Discipleship Seminars, Evangelism Workshops, Reformation Conferences and establishing Revival Prayer Groups, Bible Studies, Reformation Societies and Christian Action groups that will initiate Back to the Bible movements throughout their countries. “Do not
The sermon at the Reformation celebration service was on Conviction and Courage. Dr. Martin Luther’s actions were like that of Elijah confronting the false prophets on Mount Carmel. It was a defining moment when conviction and courage confronted corruption and cowardice. “And Elijah came to all the people and said, ‘How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God follow Him, but if Baal is god, follow him.’ But the people answered him not a word.” 1 Kings 18:21. Sometimes silence is golden. Other times it is just plain yellow.
Without a Vision a People Perish
The Reformation was inspired by great vision. Without a vision a people perish. What is your vision? What are you living for? Reformers, like Dr. Martin Luther, were living for a vision far bigger than themselves, far bigger than their times and nations. Their vision continues to impact and bless the world, hundreds of years after their life on earth. The Word of God declares: “Who will rise up for Me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for Me against the workers of iniquity?” Psalm 94:16
Can You Not Do Something More for God?
The Lord is looking for a man who
can stand in the gap and build up the wall on behalf of the land. Are you standing in the gap and interceding on behalf of the land? Are you helping to rebuild the wall? Are you impacting your world for Christ? What does God want you to do?
Stand Up, Step Out and Speak Up
When the time comes for you to stand up, stand up boldly. When the time comes for you to step out, step out in Faith. When the time comes when you must speak up, speak courageously and with Christian conviction the truths of the Holy Scriptures. “Chose for yourselves this day Whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
Let the Earth Hear His Voice
As we enter into the 500th anniversary of the Reformation year and seek to educate and evangelise, equip and empower our families, congregations, communities, countries to return back to the Bible, contact us for resources for Reformation and get involved in the Christian Action Network so that we can co-operate together to let the earth hear His voice. “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. For the Kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations.” Psalm 22:27-28 Dr. Peter Hammond www.ReformationSA.org
The Dutch Reformed Church in Franschhoek
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FAITH IN ACTION
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STAND for LIFE
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School Ministry
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By God’s Grace, Abrie and Taryn arrived safely back in Cape Town after a month-long South Africa Mission. They travelled over 6 200km, through six provinces. Together they gave 42 different presentations at 15 different schools, conducted an Evangelism Seminar and Discernment Seminar at a Missions School, ministered at 3 churches, undertook 4 outreaches and participated at 2 Home School Expos. They also made over 40 donations of literature and audio-visual materials to individuals, schools, churches, Bible Colleges, Missions, Evangelists, Missionaries and pastors. They praise God for the open door to preach the Gospel at every school they spoke at, most of which were government schools. The newly elected mayor of Tshwane, Solly Msimanga, was invited to speak at the Pretoria Homeschool Expo. After he had stepped down from the stage, Abrie introduced himself and gave him a copy of Biblical Principles for Africa and a Way of the Master Million Dollar note
Gospel tract. Abrie encouraged him to study God’s blueprint (or principles) for productive and successful nations – the Bible. One of the highlights of this Mission, was the opportunity to give three presentations in a row at Taryn’s old high school in Pietermaritzburg – Carter High. Taryn and Abrie had a whole hour and a half to address the topics of Traffick Proof, Fight the New Drug and The Truth About Abortion to about 400 learners. One of the teachers who said she is a Christian, said one of the girls was crying as Abrie was sharing the Gospel through his testimony! Carter’s motto is Justitia et Veritas - Justice and Truth. Please pray that the Truth sets many free and that the Holy Spirit convicts them of sin, God’s righteousness, and the Judgement that is to come!
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
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Communist Chaos on Campus On Wednesday, 26 October, the promised “peaceful protest” march of the #FeesMustFall movement to Parliament, in Cape Town, turned violent and destructive with rioters wearing red EFF and SASCO T-shirts, smashing shop and restaurant windows, throwing bricks, damaging police vehicles and buses. A running battle was fought between the police and rioters throughout the streets of Cape Town, leaving smashed windows, damaged vehicles, fires and debris in their wake.
Campus Reign of Terror
In other headlines from yesterday, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville campus, exploded into a war zone. Staff evacuated their offices and numerous students remained trapped in their rooms as protestors, rioters, security guards and police clash almost every evening. Bewildered students, speaking on condition of unanimity, said that they were being threatened and intimidated by ring leaders to join the so-called “protests”. A third year student reported that the #FeesMustFall protestors would come throughout the residences banging on doors with pepper sprays and fire extinguishers, demanding that they stop sleeping, get up and join the protests.
Anarchy and Arson
On Monday, four cars were torched and the police’s mobile operation centre on campus was attacked. Piles of rubble have been used as barricades on roads, some have been set on fire. Protestors have intimidated catering staff into providing them with food without payment. The protestors warned that #FeesMustFall is just the beginning.
Threats and Land Invasions
“Everybody knows that the free, decolonised education is just the start. Once we have achieved that we are going to call for the land to be taken!” Other protestors called
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the Vice Chancellor, Prins Nevehutalu, a “witch who must die!” University staff, including cleaners and security officials, have declared that they are not prepared to enter the buildings for fear of the rioters. So services on campus have stopped.
Panic Among Academics
According to a Times Live, 12 October, article: “Academics queuing to quit SA”, “a brain drain that would hollow out South Africa’s top tertiary educational institutions could be looming as panicked academics look for jobs overseas.” They quoted a group of academics who said that most of their colleagues are afraid to speak out against the current student anarchy and violence and are looking for employment at more stable institutions overseas.
Academic Exodus
The impending mass exodus looms as the stalemate between university administration and the student rioters continues. A recent study by the International Monetary Fund reveals that skilled workers are exiting sub-Saharan Africa at an accelerating rate. 27 Million are expected to flee Africa in the coming years.
Academic Winter
“The gradual effect of the continued protests will be the eventual impoverishment of South African Tertiary Educational Institutions. The very best academics will look for, and easily secure, employment at more stable universities elsewhere. Top researchers will choose to do their PHDs elsewhere. This will not only be disastrous for South Africa, but for Africa as a whole. With freedom of speech vanishing top Academics will leave and the wealth of knowledge and skills that they pass onto students will come to a halt.”
Science Must Fall
In all seriousness, some students
have started talking about the need for a “ScienceMustFall” movement, to “decolonalise science” and reject all Western science. At this meeting it was seriously suggested that witchcraft be investigated and traditional African religions and animism replace Western science as “witchdoctors can control lightening!”
Intellectual Infrastructure Collapse A professor at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research said, “We will lose a lot of our higher level staff, both in management, in teaching and in research. Laboratories cannot operate while there is chaos in the campus. We will see haemorrhaging becoming structural, the collapse of the intellectual infrastructure, without which there will be no universities”. Giving In To Agitators Fuelled the Crisis The current #FeesMustFall movement sweeping universities throughout South Africa, grew out of the #RhodesMustFall movement in Cape Town University last year. When university administration did not decisively and promptly deal with the throwing of human excrement at the Rhodes statue and disruptive and increasingly violent activities of the #RhodesMustFall movement, they fuelled the revolutionary fervour and fanaticism of the rioters who succeeded in bringing the entire university to a standstill. When the Vice Chancellor and administration of UCT gave in to pressure to remove the statue of the Founder and financier of the University of Cape Town, the #RhodesMustFall movement dramatically expanded and brought defacement and damage to many national monuments throughout the country.
War Against Civilisation
It soon became clear that the issue was not Rhodes. This was a battle over history. A war against civilisation. A revolution against Law and Education
itself. The Ministry of Higher Education reported that Rhodes Must Fall activists caused over R300 million in damaged on campuses last year and much more this year!
Financing Failure
This state allocates R9 Billion a year to student subsidies, while operating subsidies to the country’s 26 universities total are R72 Billion over three years. According to the New Observer, more than 85% of all undergraduate students enrolled at South Africa’s 23, majority black, universities failed their studies or dropped out. The failure rate for master students is 80% and for doctoral students, 88%. (These figures were contained in the South African government Department of Higher Education and Training’s Annual Statistical Report which looked at the size and shape of post-school education and training in South Africa).
Failure of Government
13% of South Africa’s 53 million people pay Income Tax, while 36% of the countries budget is allocated to wages for a bloated public service whose lack of capacity has led to the birth of a parallel privately funded service industry that has expanded in direct proportion to the failure of government services in security, schooling, postal and health sectors. South Africans are therefore paying twice for services while the tax-payers foot the bill for 15 million welfare recipients and many billions of rands more lost through government corruption and inefficiency.
Failure Redefined as a Pass
Nicolene Murdock, the Executive Director
for teaching and quality at Monash University in South Africa, was quoted as saying that pass rates have ranged from 15 to 20% for several years now. Student registrations at universities have increased every year from 495,355 in 1994 to 1,002,110 in 2014. The pass rate at the universities is even lower than the school graduation rate in the country. The official pass rate in 2014 was 75.8% but that was a highly deceptive and misleading statistic. To “pass” end of school examinations in South Africa, a student only needs to get 40% in three subjects and 30% in three other subjects. Technically speaking, if the student met the minimum requirement and obtained 40% for three subjects, 30% for three subjects, and 0% for a seventh subject, then they could pass with a 30% average. The drop-out rate is not taken into account in the official pass rate. Most of the students attending university do not really qualify, nor will benefit from, a university education. With over 50% unemployment there are less jobs available to graduates anyhow.
Wasting Time, Talent & Treasure
If the #FeesMustFall movement succeeds in preventing universities conducting exams at the end of this academic year, then more than 800,000 students will have wasted a year, and tens-of-billions of Rands of state subsidies. Not even taking into account the fees, transportation and living costs of all those students and their families throughout this last year.
Destabilising, Devaluing & Destroying The violence of the student rioters, (who for some reason are called protestors) is not only devaluing the South African Rand, chasing away investors, job creators and therefore prospects for any graduates, but they are devaluing the very degrees and institutions they are issued from as well. There was a time when the University of Cape Town was respected and a degree issued by that university almost guaranteed a good job. That time is long past. A degree from UCT is now becoming more of a liability.
Stealing from Everyone
The #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall rioters have actually stolen from everyone in the country, undermining the economy, sabotaging tertiary education, devaluing the Rand, chasing away investors and job prospects.
Why?
So the question may follow: Why do they do it? Do they not understand that what they are doing is completely counterproductive and destructive? Possibly they do, but that may be their whole intention!
Marxist Revolutionary Strategy
The issue is never the issue. The issue is the Revolution. What we are seeing is Marxist Revolutionary strategy in action. Those who believe in evolution maintain that a big bang, a cosmic explosion, led to all the life and order we see around us. Social Darwinism maintains that if you can throw enough bombs and burn down enough institutions, social utopia is bound to result! As Lenin and Stalin so eloquently put it: “Evolution leads to Revolution.” What we are seeing on our campuses and in our streets is the outworking of Marxist Revolutionary agenda.
Pawns of Politicians
What most rioters and protestors may not understand is that they are merely pawns in a global communist agenda, an agenda in which they are expendable cannon fodder. Those pulling the strings and manipulating these colossal distractions do not care about the people involved, or the issues that they trumpet. The goal is what the communists describe as constructive chaos, which enable corrupt politicians and their backers to remain in power at the expense of the general population. “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption.” 2 Peter 2:19 Dr. Peter Hammond www.GospelDefenceLeague.org
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