The CRL Rights Commission (hereinafter, the Commission) would like to clarify the media statement issued by African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) on the 12th of June 2012. The statement reads as follows:
"Although the Commission claims that they have received a number of complaints about the schedule of Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 (the PHA), that allegedly caters only for the Christian religion's holy days, thus unfairly discriminating against the holy days of other religions, they have not informed churches about these hearings and that ACDP will fight any attempt to change or remove Christmas and Good Friday from our calendar as we view such attempts as an attack on our faith."
The Commission has noted the comments and would want to re-assure the African Christian Democratic Party and other broader Christian religious communities that the on-going national consultative community hearings are geared towards social cohesion, nation building, promoting cultural, religious tolerance and encouraging mutual acceptance of the other marginalised cultural and religious holydays. The Commission has no intention to propose the removal of Christmas and Good Friday but it has to listen to all sides in this inquiry.
The Commission is partly satisfied with the effective participation of all South Africans cultural and religious representatives during these hearings despite the unfair allegation that our hearings were not publicised to all religious and cultural communities in various provinces.
The Commission is willing to discuss this matter on an urgent basis with any religiously-related political organisation and any other concerned cultural and/or religious communities that are affected by these national consultative hearings so as to clarify the perspective and legislative mandate of the Commission.
The Commission’s mandate should be understood within the context of human rights and that it is to guard against social conflict and therefore takes great care to make sure that the hearings unfold within the spirit of tolerance, peace and mutual respect in all outstanding provinces.
In the light of the above, the Commission requests the leader of ACDP and all other representatives to advise their constituency appropriately so that we do not have this kind of disinformation as it harms the name and reputation of the CRL Rights Commission.
For further enquiries please contact:
Advocate PS Moreroa
Chief Executive Officer
Tel: 011 537 7600
For media interviews contact:
Advocate Sipho Mantula
Communications and Marketing Officer
Cell: 084 7815587
Tel: 011 537 7628
E-mail: sipho@crlcommission.org.za.
