Rev Beyers Naude

In the Christian tradition, Churches throughout the centuries have shared with many other groups and communities a concern for justice. This concern also includes constitutions of countries and charters defining the basic rights of individuals and communities. The Freedom Charter is an example of such an expression of the people. I believe that the time is overdue for all Churches in South Africa to embark on as in-depth a theological analysis and evaluation of the Charter as it deserves, being a document which has a clearly expressed concern for justice, freedom and full participation for all people of our land.

Bishop Desmond Tutu

Many say we have entered a period of reform which will gather a momentum of its own and go beyond the intentions of those who set it in train. Those who say this, point especially to the fact of a new constitution as evidence of this change.

Others have equally vehemently denied that we are in a reforming era, pointing especially to the same constitution as evidence of the determination of the ruling minority to retain power in the hands of the very few whilst assiduously excluding the vast majority of South Africans. They point to the fact that this new constitution was produced by a small but dominant section of our society and unilaterally determined.

Isn't it remarkable that our fragmented and deeply polarised society did once produce a document which bore the stamp of popular approval because it was truly and yet incredibly a document produced by the people.

I refer here to the Freedom Charter which is the handiwork of South Africans of all races and colours and ages, who gathered in Kliptown in 1955. It spoke about our common humanity and our common South African citizenship. It spoke about a sharing society, about a caring community, about a compassionate fellowship.