Part 2

Introduction

When we returned to Cape Town in January 1992 as a family of seven, I got more and more involved with English-speaking contacts. To translate this section into Afrikaans would therefore be rather artificial.

After our return to the Cape I was quite determined not to get involved again with my old activist style. This was initially not difficult as we had to settle in first. After a few months however it was clear that Bo-Kaap and Hanover Park were the two areas on which we would concentrate. This brought two respective challenges, Islam and gangsterism.

With regard to the former, I sensed the need for more studies, enrolling at the Bible Institute of South Africa in Kalk Bay for the post-graduate course in Islam that started there. For the rest, we learned that Bo-Kaap had a strategic role in the spiritual realm. In the course of an assignment on the establishment and spread of Islam at the Cape I discovered how our region had impacted slavery worldwide. Hereafter I concentrated on the spiritual dimension, to solicit prayer for a breakthrough in Bo-Kaap that could possibly have global ramifications via the fuller exposure of the lie and deception at the root of Islam.

In Hanover Park I got embroiled in the fight against gangsterism soon enough after Everett Crowe a Christian police officer, had challenged the local churches in the middle of 1992 to assist when they could not handle the gangster-related criminality and violence. Operation Hanover Park turned the tide miraculously when the Church there united in prayer and action. Operation Hanover Park involved believers of diverse church backgrounds who prayed together regularly. My decision to remain in the back-ground and not to take more leadership responsibility when a carnal tussle developed among local pastors at the beginning of 1993 was a major flaw. Looking back, I experience deep regret. This could have gone down as an example how the unified Church can serve a local hurting community in a profound way.

The violence of the township returned, becoming later even worse than before. A second attempt in 2005 to get involved there followed when the drug tik[11] ravaged Cape townships. However, my attempt to unite local pastors there was unsuccessful.

Encounter with Corruption

In late 2003 we were challenged to change the focus of our ministry to foreigners. All too soon we were confronted with a lot of corruption at the Home Affairs offices at their Foreshore premises. Networking with other agencies ultimately led to the start of Friends from Abroad in the second half of 2006. Our choice of partners became problematic when we initially also engaged with the leader of PASSOP. When we noticed that he engaged party- olitically, we kept a safe distance.

During our outreach at the Foreshore Home Affairs premises, we soon heard from our contacts among the refugee foreigners whom we served with sandwiches, and at our workshop at the Discipling House of the intense corruption at the venue. In the outreach at the Foreshore Home Affairs premises we networked closely with Straatwerk.

Mr Mvuso Msimang became the new national Director of Home Affairs, a government department that was notorious for corruption. As the person who engineered wonders in another government department, much was expected of him.

When it came to our attention that Mr Msimang humbly invited people on grassroots level via TV to assist, I volunteered on behalf of Friends from Abroad. In a series of emails I repeated our wish as team to meet him or a representative to give some suggestions on how we think matters could be improved.

Protests by PASSOP (People Against Suppression, Oppression and Poverty) against the undignified treatment of refugees at the Foreshore Home Affairs premises where many refugees were now also sleeping, highlighted their plight.

We gladly endorsed the vision

to oppose xenophobia and

to fight corruption

We were subsequently invited to meet Ms Martha Mxagashe, the new Acting Home Affairs Provincial Manager of the Western Cape. We gladly endorsed her vision to see the Western Cape take the lead countrywide to oppose xenophobia and fight corruption.

I linked up with Braam Hanekom and other refugee ‘stakeholders’ in an attempt to address the rampant corruption at the Home Affairs offices. We were very frustrated by the reaction to our suggestions to bring down the back log of asylum seekers through their inefficiency. We were so thankful when the national head office of Home Affairs sent Mr Dean Pillay to come and assist with this very task. How we rejoiced when corruption at the expense of the refugees seemed to have been rooted out within a matter of months. In due course I took a leading role within the group of stakeholders more or less by default along with Braam Hanekom, the leader of PASSOP. Some of the agents who had set out to assist refugees became corrupt themselves. We continued to monitor corruption at the Refugee Centre until 2011 when we were prohibited to be on the premises in a rather strange way.

Corruption at Home Affairs: Msimang May 2007 (FFA at St Stephens)

Date sent: Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:59:29 +0200

Dear Mss Mgxashe and Mzamane
Thanks for the invitation to the stakeholders meeting at Scalabrini coming
Monday...

I would like to share a concern which I picked up this week at my visits to the Nyanga offices:
I am very concerned how things have deteriorated there. It looked very much like the bad days last year at the foreshore premises when corruption was rife because of the apparent bad management.

Is there any reason for returning to the state of affairs to have so many different nationalities on any given day. Could you not return to the situation to have certain days for certain countries. That should drastically reduce the numbers which must cause stress to everybody there. I also would like to repeat my earlier suggestion to let all asylum seekers come every six months (and not only newcomers).

After my personal experience and experience with a lady who wanted a paper for rectification of her own document and a paper for her daughter I suggest that workers should be equipped to do all transactions and that a full-time receptionist be appointed to make appointments for the personnel. It would drastically decrease the number of people in Nyanga if one would not first have to come to make an appointment like for a certain worker and then come again for the actual transaction. How often I tried to phone there with the phone only ringing. And when I did get through to the gentleman responsible for the other transaction, he was invariably not in his office. If I did not bump into Ms Yolisa Msamane by chance, we may not have been able to get another paper in stead of a soiled one. (It is inexplicable to me why Cedric (or somone else cannot also do the
rectification of the date of birth of the lady I tried to assist.) Furthermore, some people who have come from afar, are sent home and asked to return the next day without having any proof that
they have been there. This situation is of course a result of the scores of people the office has to handle on any given day.

I do hope that my suggestions will receive your serious attention and that these and other measures could be implemented so that the number of refugees and other people at your Nyanga offices could be drastically reduced and spare your workers unnecessary stress.

Yours faithfully
Ashley D.I. Cloete,

, notably when the government moved the Refugee Regional Office to Nyanga, near to the airport. Complaints by businesses of the area highlighted the xenophobic attitude of our people, forcing Home Affairs to move yet again after a few months. When the same thing happened in Maitland, when it looked as if at last we would see some continuity in the service.

Posters for a new film could be viewed for the premiere on 23 September 2008, around Hansie Cronjé, South Africa’s fallen cricket captain: “How do you start over once you have betrayed a nation’s trust?”, was highlighted as the premise of the drama. The story had sent shock waves throughout the nation and the cricketing world when one of the most beloved public figures had admitted to having contact with Indian bookmakers and accepting gifts from them. The film honestly portrays the emotionally drained and depressed, broken Hansie and his journey from the brink of career suicide. The role of his Christian faith in his remarkable recovery made his story incredibly inspiring and redemptive.

Dear David,
The letter below - it might have been an earlier version of it - when I thought that I should respect your request not to go to the press with our complaint that nothing seems to be done to alleviate matters at the Nyanga Home Affairs Offices. In fact, it seems to be getting worse and worse. As you may have heard from your colleague at the DHA office, people who were standing in the queue in Nyanga were beaten by security officials with their batons. Police were called in who did nothing about the matter. I phoned Richard Sikakane who knew nothing about this incident, only about a brick thrown at a security official. You appreciate that things could really get ugly again if nothing is done to reduce the numbers of people waiting on any given day. We are consulting with other stakeholders what should be done.

We salute all those who have spoken in favour of the human rights of foreigners! As someone who has been positively impacted while in exile during the previous era because of the prevailing laws, I state categorically on behalf of the NPO Friends from Abroad that we are committed to serve all those lovingly who came to South Africa for any reason whatsoever.

It is therefore with shame that we have to acknowledge that guests from other countries are treated in a very undignified way at the Cape Town Home Affairs Offices, both in Barrack Street and at the refugee centre in Nyanga. (We have reason to believe that it is no different in other cities.) The disdain and disrespect to foreigners is especially crass at the Nyanga Refugee Centre. Even the officials there are aware that clients have little hope to be served if they do not cooperate by paying bribes. There are cases known of people who have been going there repeatedly for up to two months to get their document (with a validity of only three months!) extended. Without this document they are illegal, refused service at hospitals and they have tremendous difficulties to enroll their children in schools. Prospective employers could be fined, making them very vulnerable and because of this they become the victims of corruption at all levels. The treatment of refugees at the Nyanga Refugee Centre is very much reminiscent of the way the previous government treated Black women, especially those from the 'homelands' who came to the cities to be with their husbands.

I take liberty to speak on behalf of those stakeholders that have been attempting to serve the guests from other countries in a loving and hospitable way. We were encouraged two years ago when the Provincial Director publicly vocalised the intention of making the Western Cape an example to fight xenophobia and corruption. In our dealings with Home Affairs officials we have however been completely frustrated ever since. Almost all suggestions we have put to them to improve matters were either completely treated ignored or implemented piecemea1. Even measures which improved the service to the foreigners tremendously and which brought down the corruption levels significantly, were later changed without any good reason given, returning to the present system in which corruption can thrive. Numerous security officials have been appointed - it is call crowd control - in stead of decentralising the work or appointing more workers to do the actual work.

With appeal to those in authority - and especially now ahead of our elections - to come up not only with a commitment to human rights, but also to demonstrate a willingness to be held accountable for service delivery to all foreigners. This must include dignified treatment to refugees. As a South African I want to stand tall again. This is a time for political leaders to make clear that we are committedly against all forms of xenophobia - and let all of us practice philoxenia, love for the stranger in our gates. This is not only biblical, it is morally the right thing to do.

In December I took Hannes van der Merwe of Straatwerk along on 2 December 2008 to a meeting of the think tank. Along with Braam Hanekom (PASSOP) and David Jacobs we have been looking at ways in which corruption at Home Affairs can be addressed and fought.

Another cog in the wheel of renewed determination to fight the corruption and ineptitude of Home Affairs was a phone call from Hannes van der Merwe of Straatwerk who had been working with me and a few others on this issue that was so widespread. He linked us to Advocate William Fisher, Leo Hattingh and their law firm of committed Christians on the Joostenberg plain. They put their services at our disposal free of charge. (We are also thankful for the UCT Law clinic to which we could send refugees for assistance.) I am determined to continue the fight for justice to our friends from abroad.

Incidents around various Refugees

On 21 April 2009 I was suddenly summoned to the Discipling House. M, one of the workshop ladies had been beaten rather seriously by a security official on 16 April at the Nyanga Home Affairs. The marks on her legs were still clearly visible. I took her to the nearby police office in Mowbray to lay a charge of assault against the official, even though she did not know the name of the gentleman. She was however able and willing to identify him there on the spot.

A few weeks later she was required to come to the Nyanga Police Station for the investigation. Because she was afraid to go alone, I accompanied her, preparing to take along Pastor John Kabenda, a teacher from Rwanda who had been operating as a taxi driver. They had to get their car written on the name of a South African because they could not get a taxi permit because neither he nor his wife had a South African driver's licence. For the use of his name, and the facilities like insurance etc., they had to pay R1000 per month. I found this amount rather exorbitant in the light of their financial situation, volunteering to accompany him to the HIV/Aids sufferer to try and negotiate (If the man died, they would have lost lose their car.)

Without my having to accompany Pastor John Katende, they were able to retrieve their car, but the charge against the Home Affairs security official turned into quite a night mare, which pointing very much to collusion between Home Affairs and the police.

When I went to John to make sure that they get their car back on their own name, he had another urgent case to report. One of his church members, a taxi driver, had been arrested on Table Mountain Road on May 1 on rather flimsy grounds. The police constable suspected that he had a fraudulent international driver's licence. The email below gives more details about the incident.

On Thursday 7 May 2009 Mediatrice, a genocide victim from Rwanda had to report at the Nyanga offices for her asylum appeal. On that day I could not accompany her. (Rosemarie had started teaching in the Youngsfield Military Camp where a thousand or so refugees had been placed after the xenophobia attacks of the winter of 2008. When the camp was rounded up later in the year, we took her into our home. At the end of the year space came free for her in our Discipling House just when we needed the accommodation for the wedding guests of our two children that would marry in January 2009.) We decided that Sheralyn should go along to Nyanga.

Friends From Abroad NPO Registration Number: 067-478

P O Box 326

Century City

8001

Tel. 021 4613745 / 0738175888 7 May 2009

To: Senior Superintendent Swanepoel

As an organisation we would register our dismay at the flagrant disregard of foreigners' human rights. South Africa's constitution is the bedrock of our society. In the light of recent events, we would like to register a complaint.

Mr Frecian Eliah, a legally documented foreign national, was man-handled, wrongly arrested and illegally detained. Mr Eliah was not informed of the grounds of his arrest. These events occurred around 10.00h on Friday May 1, 2009 on Table Mountain Road. Mr Eliah fully obeyed the instructions of the officer. The compliance of Mr Frecian Eliah was deemed insufficient and he was bundled into the police van. At the charge office Mr Frecian Eliah surrendered his cellphones and cash (R1000). The International Driver's licence given to the officer was not handed over at the charge office, whereabouts unknown. Mr Frecian Eliah was not afforded the opportunity to consult with legal representatives or his employer.

Mr Frecian Eliah's absence at church on Sunday raised concerns about his safety. Given the history of treatment meted out to foreigners', the first port of call was the police station. Pastor Kadende and the owner of the taxi visited Mr Frecian Eliah at the police station. At this stage Mr Frecian Eliah was not yet informed of the basis of his arrest. The taxi owner was then instructed to remove his vehicle form the police yard. How it got there is a mystery seeing that the driver was in the police van. On inspection of the vehicle, it was found that several items were missing.

On Monday, 4 May Mr Frecian Eliah appeared in court and to his horror found that he was charged with fraud. At the court case he was released on bail pending further investigation.

I, Rev Ashley Cloete, accompanied Mr Frecian Eliah and Pastor Kadende to the charge office on 6 May, to question the modus operandi of the police officers, intending to lay a counter charge. We subsequently decided to follow the route of writing this letter to the highest authority at the station.

The failure of the officer to hand over the driver's licence is a cause of great concern. Mr Eliah is now rendered unemployed and liable for goods missing in the vehicle.

As Friends from Abroad we are seriously concerned about the blatant disregard of human rights and natural justice by the SAPS members concerned.

We would appeal to you to rectify this matter at your earliest convenience. These latest events force us to take drastic action in the form of laying a counter charge for wrongful arrest, theft and violation of human rights. Given our recent history of xenophobia, it is incumbent upon us all to uphold the constitution and all the values entrenched in it.

Yours faithfully,

Ashley D.I. Cloete (Chairman)

Dear Director van der Ross,

Director van der Ross,
Cape Town Central Police Station.

Dear Sir,

Referring to my email below, may I remind you that I have not received any phone call from you as you promised almost two weeks ago when I visited you.

To: Senior Superintendent van der Ross

Dear Sir,

I received a reply from your interim predecessor about my letter below suggesting that

cases are pending for other offences by Mr Frecian Eliah. It has now come to my attention

that something else happened with the same refugee. but he was the party who suffered.

In a car accident his vehicle was badly damaged after being hit by another driver who

drove through the red light. Miraculously Mr Elijah survied although and he admiitted to

hospital and discharged the next day.

I would like to meet you at your earliest convenience to see if something can be arranged.

As a South African who enjoyed wonderful hospitality during a period of voluntary exile

(because of being married to someone from the wrong race) I am appalled by the

treatment meted out to blacks from other countries and the way injustice they have to

experience.

Yours faithfully,

(Rev.) Ashley D. I. Cloete

There was no happy end to this saga. I never had any response to my email from the station commander.

A mere few months after Eviction from Maitland

??? unhealthy condition

Dear Mr Simons,

I hereby wish to put you in the loop with what has been happening regarding a complaint and our repeated request for a stakeholders meeting.

After quite a few emails to one of the workers I now finally got a reply that she had to pass the simple request of April 4 for a document to be scanned and emailed to your Pretoria to her managers Akos and Vujani. This procedure seems to me unnecessary tedious.

My repeated request for a stakeholders meeting is connected to the possible escalation of corruption. I have approached Mr Richard Sikakane repeatedly to see that the security officials get name tags. (This measure, possibly more than any others, brought the corruption down in 2009 after it had spiralled to astronomical proportions.

I furthermore remind you that Rev Barry Isaacs and I went to speak to the neighbours in Maitland after the stakeholders had been called to be informed of the pending eviction. Our intervention helped to achieve the postponement of the eviction.

As stakeholders we find it unacceptable that we are only called in when there is a crisis. Furthermore, we wonder why the director cannot assure that the name tags which stamped out corruption in 2009 cannot be given to the security officials again.

Trusting that this letter will get your urgent attention and thanking you in anticipation for taking the necessary steps,

Ashley D.I. Cloete (Friends from Abroad)

Legalisation or Decriminalisation of Prostitution

As the 2010 World Cup approached, indications started coming in that the Sex 'industry' was attempting to cash in with an effort for the legalisation or decriminalisation of Prostitution.

Departing from hesitancy to forward emails, I do it this time. We think that if we don't speak out clearly now, we could become party to allowing to get another God-dishonouring scourge on our statute books - perhaps abomination would be the more biblical word.

The comparison is not fully to the point, but it should be noted nevertheless that we as a notion would have benefited greatly to get a warning against the easy bail law when it came into our statute books in the mid-1990s. The escalation of crime which is no almost impossible to contain, is the sad legacy.
We will be lodging our objection against the decriminalising of along those lines.

We are privileged as a nation that this time round we are forewarned - with the looming massive increase of unemployment - of what could happen to our nation - and especially to destitute females - if pimps and prostitution would be given almost free reign.

Ashley (and Rosemarie)

I got to know Pastor Errol Naidoo in the PAGAD (People against Gangsterism and Drugs) era as a part of the Cape Peace Initiative (CPI) when many churches stood together to counter the threat of the Islamization of the Western Cape. I started to move closer to Errol in 2006 during the run-up to the law to legalise same sex marriages. (He was to all intents and purposes the evangelical spokesperson and advocate for a biblical stance on Homosexuality.)
In a sequel to the 2006 preparation to the law to legalise same sex marriages Errol Naidoo, left the pastorate at His People Church to launch the Family Policy Institute.

At that time our friend Achmed Kariem ran into problems at SACOB because of his faith. He had already been retrenched in principle, feeling that he should not fight it illegally although he had a strong case for unfair dismissal. He just wanted to get a fair deal in severance. I introduced Achmed to errol who was praying for a journalist to work alongside him. Achmed was the good fit after his work with SACOB in and around Parliament.

On 15 May 2008 the Family Policy Institute took occupancy of its new headquarters at Parliament Chambers, 49 Parliament Street, Cape Town. This was as near to Parliament as one could wish, just outside the gates of Parliament, a venue where I could pop in from time to time when I did research at the nearby South African library or other occasions in the CBD. Here I would have now and then have a chat with Achmed and/or Errol Naidoo. It was quite peripheral but nevertheless significant that I thus got involved with the fight against the legalisation of prostitution, against abortin and against same sex marriages. All these staces were regarded as politically incorrect or even right-wing. I had and still have only one concern and that is to be biblically correct.

An Attempt to legalize Prostitution

In mid-2009 a serious effort was launched to legalize Prostitution before the World Cup. Heading the Family Policy Institute, Pastor Errol Naidoo asked Christians to write letters of protest to the government.

Pastor Errol Naidoo wrote the following in an email on 30 July: Dallene Clark, the lead researcher on adult prostitution at the SA Law Reform Commission (SALRC) informed me they received thousands of submissions from concerned citizens across the country – the majority of whom selected the option that totally criminalises the sex industry.

According to her, the SALRC will now embark on a long and complicated process which must acknowledge every single submission before making recommendations to the Minister of Justice.

Ms Clark estimates the earliest the Minister of Justice can expect to receive the final recommendations for legislation on adult prostitution is early 2011.

If this is correct, it will mean a crushing defeat for those lobbying for legalised prostitution for the 2010 World Cup. And more importantly, it represents a significant victory for women and children!

From: Africa Christian Action <info@christianaction.org.za>
Friday, Jun 19, 2009 at 4:20 PM

Speak Up for Those Who Cannot Speak for Themselves!

There seems to be some confusion surrounding the legislative process on prostitution.

The current debate is whether prostitution should be decriminalised or remain criminalised in South Africa.

The SA Law Reform Commission (SALRC) is currently hosting workshops around the country on the issue of adult prostitution. They are tasked with bringing laws that have been on our statute books in line with our current constitution.

The submissions the SALRC receive from the public will form part of their recommendations to the Minister of Justice & Constitutional Development. (This is the first part of the process).

Following this, a draft Bill will be tabled by Parliament and the public will again be invited to make written and oral submissions on the Adult Prostitution Bill. (Second part of the process)

Many concerned citizens have been asking, “Won’t the ruling party simply railroad the Prostitution Bill through Parliament like they did with the same-sex ‘marriage’ legislation”?

The difference between prostitution and same-sex ‘marriage’ is that the Constitutional Court ruled that denying homosexuals the right to marry was "discriminatory" based on the "sexual orientation" clause in the Bill of Rights.

That meant Parliament had to bring the ‘Marriage Act’ in line with the constitution. Prostitution, however, has no constitutional protection and is not considered a human right.

The Constitutional Court ruled on 10 October 2002 that prostitution and running brothels are still illegal. The ruling dashed the hopes of brothel owner Ellen Jordan, who spent millions of rands in her court bids to get the laws thrown out.

When Jordan, one of her employees and a prostitute were arrested for contravening the Sexual Offences Act of 1957 in 1996, Jordan took the case to the High Court.

The High Court found that (1) sections of the law that render sex for money a crime were unconstitutional, and that (2) legislation outlawing brothels should be upheld.

Jordan then took the rulings to the Constitutional Court to have the first one confirmed and the second overturned. However, the Constitutional Court upheld both rulings.

The first ruling outlawing prostitution and the second outlawing brothel-keeping were both upheld by the Constitutional Court.

The Court found that outlawing prostitution did not infringe on the rights to human dignity and economic activity.

http://www.safrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/constitution/prostitution1.htm

As a result, the total criminalisation of prostitution including all aspects of the sex industry is very much in line with the constitution.

That means, the only way prostitution will be decriminalised in South Africa - is if those who oppose it - remain silent and uninvolved.

For the sake of all vulnerable women and children in South Africa, I implore you to draft a submission to the SALRC before 30 June 09.

A summary of the SALRC proposals are available at the following link.http://www.doj.gov.za/salrc/dpapers/dp0001-2009_prj107_2009sum.pdf

To help you answer the 9 questions on the total criminalisation option in the SALRC questionnaire – you may request the Family Policy Institute’s submission which contains all the facts drawn from research on prostitution at info@familypolicyinstitute.org

You may email your submissions to Dellene Clark at dclark@justice.gov.za or Carine Pienaar at capienaar@justice.gov.za before 30 June 2009.

A masssive blow was inflicted on the gay lobby when Ellen Jordan, a former brothel owner became a follower of Jesus in April 2009. I received an email once again from Pastor Errol Naidoo of the Family Policy Institute on Thursday 12 November 2009.

Yesterday (Wednesday 11 Nov, 09) I had a remarkable discussion with Ellen Jordan from Gauteng. What’s so remarkable about that, you ask? Well, only that Ellen Jordan is the brothel owner that took her case to legalise prostitution all the way to the Constitutional Court and lost – bankrupting herself in the process. The cost for her failed attempt was in the region of R3, 2 million.

However, Ellen Jordan informed me that she had a miraculous experience with the Lord in her hospital room and gave her life to Jesus Christ! In case you missed it, that’s an ex-lesbian, drug addict, brothel and homosexual club owner who was responsible for leading the fight to legalise the sex industry in South Africa - now confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour! To God be the Glory!

Ellen wants to join the fight against legalised prostitution including “recruiting women for Jesus because she recruited women for the dark side in the past”. She is a powerful ally to help us expose the lies and deception peddled by SWEAT & the liberal media.

I need to get Ellen down to Cape Town to strategise the way forward. Because we are fighting a public relations battle as well as a moral one, we must formulate a press statement informing the South African public about Ellen Jordan’s experience and her powerful testimony about the horrors of the sex trade. She is well known to the South African media because of her bold attempts to challenge the Sexual Offences Act in 2002. Ellen’s legal challenge and the subsequent Constitutional Court rulings are recorded in my research document on prostitution on pages 8 – 14.

As we boldly step out in faith to address prostitution and the criminal activity that feeds off it, God will bless and strengthen our efforts and provide significant interventions like Ellen Jordan.

JP Smith and several key senior officials from the City of Cape Town will discuss the Prostitution Task Team on 24 November 09 at the Civic Centre. Marge Ballin and I will attend this meeting.

Dear Ms. Mokwena,
Hoping that your emails are working again, I refer to my phone call of yesterday (1 October 2008), trusting that you will bring this to the attention of the Director General with due speed.

As Friends from Abroad we appreciate that there has been positive reaction to some of the concerns we raised in our contact with the Nyanga office. The one issue on which there seems to have been no response is the change to six months for extensions to Section 22 persons. (We are also very much aware of the workload which makes it difficult to respond by email.)

A new concern arose from the rigid application of the relevant Act because some refugees we try to serve, are now required - with ensuing great hardship - to have their second interviews done at the places where they were initially recorded on your system. In our opinion this is very unreasonable to expect, e.g. a young man who has been unable to find employment for a long time to go to Port Elizabeth or a lady with a two week old baby to go to Pretoria. In the latter case the official would not issue a birth certificate because the mother was illegal, i.e. her asylum seeker paper has expired.

More and more cases will of course now come up of people whose papers have expired or will have expired. In view of this untenable situation we request compassionate application of the Act immediately and a speedy change to the law, to enable people like this to become legal again.

It has now furthermore come to our attention that our refugee friends are required to pay R1000 to be attended to in Nyanga at all (i.e. to get into the premises) and a further R2500 to get their papers extended. For permanent residence R15000 will do the trick. We understood that there is no charge for the first two types of service for refugees.

From our side we want to convene a meeting on short notice with other stakeholders to assist Home Affairs to see what other effective measures could be taken to stop the rampant corruption. A first move would be to get affidavits from those people who have actually paid money, along with photos taken of the people to whom they have paid the funds.

In the service of the destitute foreigners who are being duped and hoping to assist your department to deliver,

I remain yours faithfully,

Ashley D.I Cloete

From: <acloete@isales.co.za>
Date: Tue, Aug 26, 2008 at 9:36 PM
Subject: (Fwd) Greetings!!
To: richard.sikakane@dha.gov.za, nosipiwo.mpalala@dha.gov.za, mpho Sithole <Mpho.Sithole@dha.gov.za>
Cc:

P.S. I discoevered that I never sent this email off last week.

Hi Richard and Nosipiwo!!

How are you guys doing?

Nosipiwo knows that I have unfortunately once again had some frustrating experiences from your telephonic reception team. It would have taken me several lines to describe how I have been trying for forty minutes on Wednesday to try and make a telephonic appointment with one of your officials. I have to do this because I have been told that a certain person apiece must do a) Rectification b) Family reunification and nobody else. This seems to me rather problematic.

My story: I would like to help a pregnant lady from Burundi with a prothesis (because of the war there) to get her asylum document rectified - her date of birth is given incorrect - and to assist to get her daughter legalised who joined her here in South Africa later. As you know, your office has stipulated that only one official can do rectification and another family reunion. I would like to do both on the same day, which is not so easy on a day which would also suit me.

Nevertheless, it is not pleasant to have to complain yet again. But I am asking myself whether these matters are so specialised or complicated that nobody else can do it. And if it were the case, why are not other people trained to substitute for the gentlemen if they are absent?

For the rest, I was rather disappointed that there are still no metal sign boards to indicate on which days the various countries should come to your offices. I only saw one (on paper) that newcomers from Zimbabwe are only served on Thrusdays and Fridays. It would also be great to hear some response to our other suggestions. Of course, it would be even better to hear that the congested chaotic conditions have been eliminated.

Still hoping that matters may improve in Nyanga,

Yours faithfully,

Ashley D.I. Cloete

P.S. I also send a copy of this email to Ms Mpho Sithole Pretoria with whom I initially corresponded last year

Previous emails

Hi Richard and Nosipiwo!!

I just wanted to express thanks again for the ear you gave to me last week. It was good to

hear that you have already started to implement the one issue, viz. a return to certain days

for the respective countries. I trust that metal sign boards are up and running in the meantime

to inform the refugees on which days they are expected and that the services to refugees are

free of charge.

I do pray that there won't be any hasssles w.r.t. expansion to the buildings to facilitate the

smooth running of the various activities and alleviate the congestion.

I really do hope that the one remaining issue of my letter below, will also be addressed

positively, viz six-months for Sect 22 extensions, to enable you folk to work away the backlog

and diminish the number of people on any given day at the premises.

Regards,

Ashley

Hi Richard and Nosipiwo,

With regard to my attempt to get an appointment for Thursday around noon, I hereby forward

my previous email as requested by Ms. Nosipiwo Mpalala.

Referring to that email, I am very happy to report positively about the good service the last

few times that I have experienced from your telephone reception folk. Thank you very much

for the response on that score. Your guys must just keep it up, hey!

Now to my present request and question: I would like to come to you on Thursday, hoping to

have some personal interaction with you Richard, if this is at all possible.

Do keep in mind that we only have hospitality and a loving service to the refugees at heart

along with you folk, looking at ways to spare everybody unnecessary stress.

Yours faithfully,

Ashley

Appendices

ADDENDUM

Nie vir -publikasie; 1. As gevolg van die aftrede van Mnr, Vorster as President, het ek besluit om die publikasie vir 'n nog onbepaalde tyd uit te stei. Ek doen hiermee ook 'n beroep op diegene wat al manuskripte besit, om daarmee verantwoordelik om te gaan. My doel is mos om aan die Suid-Afrikaanse nasiewording te werk, waarby die blanke Afrikaansprekende bevolking ingesluit moet wees. 'n Oorhaastige publikasie van die materiaal sou myns insiens sodanige proses alleen maar skaad.

2. Ek voeg hiermee nog enkele briewe by, wat ek meen, ook insluiting regverdig.

(Die eerste brief het ek in 'n ou maandbrief van die gemeente in Berlyn, waar ons werksaam was, ontdek. Die brief self is waarskynlik in die begin van 1977 geskryf.) Nadat hy (Broer Mbalana) in die naam van die vlugtelinge en die skoliere wat gehelp kon word, ons gedank het, gaan hy voort: '0ns kon net met 'n groot klaskamer begin, vanweë die duur boumateriaal. In twee skofte word die kinders voormiddags en smiddags onderrig...'

En verder: ‘Julle geld het baie gedoen, om die nood van die vlugtelinge te verminder. Ons kon hulle met melk en sop versorg. Natuurlik het jy baie geld nodig om soveel mense te help. Die toestand is nog steeds verskriklik, byna hopeloos. Binne 'n kort tydsbestek het 80-90 kinders van honger gesterf. Ons vra onsself af hoe die posisie in die komende winter sal wees. Die regering doen byna niks nie, maar julle weet mos, ons mense is in hulle oë derdeklasmense. Ons het dringend nodig; (a) 'n Melkversorgingstelsel (b) 'n Sopkombuis (c) Water-dromme (d) Komberse vir die winter.

.... Ons is dankbaar vir die hulp wat uit die buiteland kom, maar ook vir die enkele blankes hier, wat hulle oor die noodtoestand ontferm. Jy sou tot die slotsom kan kom dat dit 'n vloek is om 'n swart mens in hierdie land te wees, want as blankes onder suike omstandighede sou moet leef, was seker lankal iets gedoen, Eietemin loot ek God vir sy Heilige Gees, wat dit vir ons moontlik maak om ten spyte van hierdie toe— stande nie vertwyfeld te raak nie, maar om Horn ons Here Jesus te aanbid.’

Hier volg nou 'n algemene nuusbrief wat ek 'n paar maande na my terugkeer na my eerste buitelandse verblyf in Suid-afrika geskryf het;

Kaapstad,

8 Desember 1970

Liewe Vriende,

... Ek is waarlik bly om hierdie geleentheid waar te neem om weer 'n keer aan al my liewe vriende oorsee te skryf en om hulle miskien daanaee 'n bietjie te verbly, ook al het ek self nie juis vreugde om op hierdie manier aan die Kapitalistefees ook Kersfees genoem -eoo te doen nie. Ek moet dadelik om verskoning vra, want vir somaige van u sal dit beslis hard wees om te moet aanhoor dat ek die ,,Christfest" (= Christusfees) 'n kapitalistefees noem.
U moet egter weet, dat jy dit uit ''n christelike oogpunt in tL,i*nie ?? anders kan beskryf nie. Vir my is die grootste tragedie dat die heel arm mense in hierdie tyd so bedrieg en uitgebuit word.

In geval die een of ander persoon meen dat ek intussen kommunis geword het, moet u weet dat ek nog steeds kommunalis is, maar dit het niks met kommunes te maak nie hoor! Ek dink dat jy in S.A. 'n kommunalis moet wees, want nie alleen het die groot indeling na velkleur, wat ooreenkom met 'n sosiale indeling, sy ernstige gevolge nie, maar ook binne die groepe het hierdie kapitalistiese sisteem sy rampspoedige uitwerking.

Wat die politieke situasie betref, is dit genoeg om te sê: onveranderd. 'n Verandering ten goede is nouliks te verwag. Ek wil egter hier herhaal wat ek oorsee altyd gesê het (maar nou met nog meer oortuiging as destyds); 'n Verandering kan alleen van God korn, want ons het massa-hartoorplantings nodig. (Ek bedoel natuurlik 'n duursame verandering) So 'n wonderwerk van verandering van 'n hele volk beskou ek egter as heeltemal moontlik. Sê die Bybel nie "by God is alle dinge moontlik" nie?...

Ashley

Persoonlike Jaarverslag 1979

... Ons weet dat die Heer aan ons gewerk het en ons hoop dat hy ook deur ons kon werk om die gestalte van Christus meer sigbaar te maak in ons gemeente...

Die jaar het vir ons met 'n krisis begin. Verdere medewerking in de Broedergmeente... hoegenaamd binne die raamwerk van 'n geinstitusionele kerk, het op die spel gestaan. Opverskillende vlakke – plaaslik, landelik, internasionaal en ekumenies – het ons die gevoel gehad dat ons nie op ons plek was nie... Maar ons het geweet dat ons vanweë die gebrek aan werkers nie weg kon gaan nie. ...

My voorstel om 'n salarisvermindering van 25% aan te vra om 'n kwart van my tyd vir my Honger na Geregtigheid in Suid-Afrika te kan bestee, het tot 'n ernstige probleem gelei... ' Heel begrypelik het die Broederraadslede, almal Surinamers, gevoel dat ek hulle nie ernstig genoeg geneem het nie. Inderdaad het ek my te veel met Suid-Afrika besig gehou. Konkreet het dit tot uitdrukking gekom by die probleem van die aanleer van die taal. Ek het gevoel dat my Nederlands goed genoeg was... Op die vraag waarom ek blykbaar teenstribbel, het ek toegegee dat ek steeds gehoop het om spoedig na Suid-Afrika terug te kan keer. Hierdie skuldbelydenis het egter my verhouding met die Broederraad alleen maar vererger ...

At home posters for a new film state could be viewed for the premiere on 23 September 2008, around Hansie Cronjé, South Africa’s fallen cricket captain: “How do you start over once you have betrayed a nation’s trust?”, was highlighted as the premise of the drama. The story had sent shock waves throughout the nation and the cricketing world when one of the most beloved public figures had admitted to having contact with Indian bookmakers and accepting gifts from them. The film honestly portrays the emotionally drained and depressed, broken Hansie and his journey from the brink of career suicide. The role of his Christian faith in his remarkable recovery made his story incredibly inspiring and redemptive. On the personal level, we were tentatively excited when we met Charles and Joan America at the service of Calvary Chapel on Sunday, 28 September. We had actually intended that to be our quiet valedictory occasion to the fellowship which we had secretly written off because of the constant denominational undercurrent. Other churches were frequently criticized and no mention of what was happening in the Christian world outside the confines of Calvary Chapel. We would ask for an appointment to speak to Pastor Demitri Nikiforos. At this occasion on Saturday 4 October, we shared our reservations, agreeing to disagree, without however leaving Calvary Chapel completely. We did not want to jeopardise our own efforts towards unity of the Body of Christ in the City Bowl. In the contact with Manfred Jung with regard to the publishing of this book I wrote the following lines to him, with a copy to Bennie Mostert. Would the Pretoria occasion not be a good place to read an adapted version of the declaration that should ideally include Jews? I paste the 2004 version below once again for Bennie's sake, but I would like to see something added along the following lines in the light of the thousands (perhaps even millions?) of Muslims (and Jews) that have been coming to the Lord in recent months:
... Coming from a situation in our country where an oppressive, demonic race policy was defended from the Bible, we empathise however with those Muslims (and Jews) who are hurting because they feel themselves deceived by religious leaders. We call on South African Christians and followers of Jesus everywhere, to refrain at this time from any trace of triumphalism. In stead, we call on them to embrace Muslims (and Jews) lovingly who are still searching after the truth.
Let us thrust away our petty doctrinal differences which have been hindering millions down the centuries to believe in Jesus Christ and pray unitedly that many will come to faith in Him who is the way, the truth and the Life - also those from other religions.

Bennie responded that I reduce the declaration to two paragraphs on Muslims and Jews and then come and read it at the event in Pretoria. This I was still attempting to do when a letter was published on

Saturday ??? At our prayer meeting in Bo-Kaap on Monday 6 October we heard that Eric Hofmeyer was appointed as Youth Pastor at the Cape Town Baptist Church. We were elated, having worked together with him in earlier years in Salt River and in a – unfortunately very short-lived - prayer effort to attack the drug scourge of the Peninsula, along with two former drug addicts. Another highlight was the monthly praying with the City Bowl pastors on Thursday 9 October.

The same media and public which had skyrocketed Hansie to popular prominence now turned on him with a vengeance. He was stripped of his captaincy, the support of his former team mates, and the respect of an entire nation. The cricket administrators imposed a crushing lifetime ban forbidding Hansie to ever play cricket again. The national and international television and newspaper media humiliated him further with the most vindictive dissection of his life.

Yet, Hansie never blamed anyone else, but took the full responsibility upon himself, confessing and apologising to the nation, and giving full disclosure of all aspects of the sordid saga before the 2000 King Commission. Yet his courageous confession was further abused by the media to attempt to destroy any remaining respect for the man.

P.S. If you agree, please send me the email addresses of the CCM executive. I am quite willing to adapt the declaration and liaise with Cape workers among Jews and then send all of you a draft declaration as soon as possible.

By mid-October 2008 there was still no concrete sign of City Bowl churches prepared to work together. As the wedding of our daughter approached, Rosemarie thought of Maeve Verblun as someone to do the flowers at the occasion. (Maeve had been attending a home church group of the Cape Town Baptist Church in our Vredehoek residence in 1994 until we left on home assignment in March 1995 and also thereafter we retained a loose friendship. For many years Maeve was responsible for flower arrangements at the church. When she visited us in the middle of October 2008, I mentioned in passing our early morning prayer on Signal Hill and that we prayed there for Bo-Kaap and Sea Point. She immediately showed interest to join.

The event on the 4^th Saturday of October on Signal Hill[12] was destined to have interesting ramifications when Maeve invited me there to come to the prayer meeting at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Vredehoek, which took place every last Saturday morning of the month. When I attended their event on 29 November (the 5^th Saturday of the month.) I was blessed out of my socks to hear what God had already started doing in Sea Point. The fellowship had started with a church planting initiative through Jacques Erasmus. (As a Straatwerk colleague he had already been praying with us at the Ministers' Fraternal in 2007. I could also listen to their vision to reach out in the City Bowl with the Gospel, if possible together with other churches. )

Events in our neighbouring country Zimbabwe

At this time things were going from bad to worse in our neighbouring country Zimbabwe. Cholera was claiming thousands of victims there with many cases reported not only in the border areas, but also in the Western Cape, in Kayelitsha and Mitchells Plain. The reassurance of our State President that a unity government would be in place by 13 February left almost everyone sceptical. There had been so many promises that this was possibility was not reassuring. In fact, there were no signs that things were improving. In February God put on the heart of a Christian to send out a prayer alert for Zimbabwe, requesting people all over the world to pray for that country on Sunday 10 February at 10.00h. We relayed this message also via our email list of contacts.

But then the ultimate crunch came with the news that Mrs Susan Tsvangirai, the wife of Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, the new Zimbabwean Prime Minister, was killed in a car crash on 6 March 2009 when heading towards their rural home. He sustained non-life threatening injuries. Rumours were rife that this had been just another attempt of Mr Robert Mugabe to eliminate uncomfortable opposition. Fear gripped the nation that the country was on the verge of another massive purge of all opposition of the President or civil war. A new wave of prayer erupted for the country.

The miracle happened! The death of Susan Tsvangirai appeared to unify the country in an unprecedented way. The widower reacted in a dignified way, reassuring the nation that it was a genuine accident and not orchestrated. But another miracle happened! After only two weeks of the new unity government bread could be bought for 50 US cents and petrol became freely available! The schools and hospitals were in operation again. This was a clear answer to the prayers of thousands if not millions around the world who prayed for the devastated country. We continue to pray for a spiritual revival.

3 December emails of Hammond and Naidoo

9 December Dennis Fahringer

10 December email of Boshoff

11 Dec Lwandle and William Fisher

Towards the end of last year Apostle Simon Kariuki, a Kenyan living in South Africa and leading KANAP Ministries traveled around the nation to all 9 provinces sharing what the Lord had shown him and asked him to do. He had a vision of the feet of Africa in chains stopping the continent moving into its calling in God in this season and the feet were the nation of South Africa. On seeking the Lord he was instructed to call the nation to 12 days of prayer and the dates were to be 1^st to 12^th February. I have attached his letter for you to read for yourself.

From his visit to us in Bhisho when we had a deep time of prayer over the matter the Lord confirmed to us that this was indeed a call from Him and so we pass this on to you together with the Prayer Points and Strategies the Lord has given us. These are attached as the GGN Prayer Focus.

We are asking you to join us and let as many others know as possible. Many people are already fasting for the nation but those who have not yet or are not we encourage you to add fasting to the prayer. Our nation is at a very serious time where the people of the nation will be making choices as to who becomes our next president. We need to ensure we are not manipulated by any politician or political party through witchcraft.

In a troubled time in his nation Habakkuk said "I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected" Hab 2:1. Let us stand our watch on these 12 days together around the nation and see what He will say to us as and direct us to in the days ahead.

Continually compelled by the love of Christ

Laurette Mkati

With Munyaradzi on Thursday 20 November in Bo-Kaap

St.Paul's (last of month Febraury)

Dear Brethren

ELECTIONS 2009: NATIONWIDE 12 DAY INTERCESSION FOR SOUTH AFRICA

Receive warm greetings from the Head Office of Kingdom Age Network of Apostles and Prophets (KANAP), Waterkloof Heights, Tshwane (Pretoria), Gauteng, South Africa. Your particulars were given to me by men and women of God who believe that you are very instrumental in advancing the Kingdom of God in your area. As a result, allow me to briefly convey what God has recently laid in my heart for the Nation of South Africa.

There is an urgent need to pray for South Africa. It came through a vision which I received when I was in prayer. I saw two feet in chains and fetters. I then enquired from the Lord what the vision meant and this was the interpretation;

In a manner of speaking, ‘South Africa is the feet of the Continent of Africa and the devil's strategy is to cripple and demobilize Africa. Crippling South Africa is one of the ways the devil is planning to avert and thwart God's redemptive plan and purpose for the Continent of Africa’.

Given South Africa’s importance in the Continent, its failure would reverse all the strides the Continent has made in terms of the social, economic, political and spiritual development. This would be against God’s plan for Africa!

It is the season and the set time to favor Africa. South Africa is strategic in the fulfillment of God's purpose and plan for the Continent. South Africa is the gateway for the Continent of Africa.

A vision was given to a Man of God many years ago showing that Nigeria is the trigger of Africa and South Africa is the nozzle. When I received the vision of the feet in chains, I perceived that the whole body was in pain. If South Africa is struck, the whole of the Continent of Africa will be in pain.

It has therefore become imperative that the people of South Africa and the rest of the Continent join forces in strategic prayer and not allow the devil’s plan to succeed. Africa needs its feet unshackled for mobility and to make strides in all dimensions of life for the fulfillment of God’s purposes for it.

We need to take responsibility in strategic prayer to refuse and break all the chains and fetters the devil is placing on our feet. This can be achieved by:

· Washing our feet with prayer.

· Oiling our feet with prayer.

· Beautifying our feet with prayer.

· Energizing our feet with prayer.

· Ensuring that our feet are free from the shackles of the enemy.

· The feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Since this vision, I have sought God’s direction as to what to do about. it.

The magnitude of the vision is overwhelming and I have had misgivings that it was in fact difficult to attain. However, by the power of God and through partnering with you, the demonic forces and ideological strongholds that are deeply entrenched in the country will not prevail. We need to stand together and pursue the realization of this vision.

It's time for Africa to arise and shine. The above vision has ensured that I start seeking God for direction, confirmation and strategy. As I was seeking the face of the Lord, it became apparent that we need to create awareness, organize and mobilize a Nationwide 12 Day Intercession initiative for South Africa. This needs to happen some time next year before the elections. Initial assessments suggest that this would need to take place from the 1^st to 12^th February 2009. This period is opportune as South Africa faces critical milestones in its young democracy, that is, the elections and the hosting of the 2010 World Cup. We are tentatively looking at 1st - 12th of February 2009. The dates will be confirmed after receiving your feedback and deliberations with other intercessors, and ultimately with God of Heaven. The reason we cannot hold the prayers earlier than this time is because we need to visit all the major cities of the nine provinces of South Africa to investigate, motivate and consult about this mandate.

Although there has been tremendous direction, confirmation and strategy from the Heavens, I have had to overcome my own personal hesitation and doubt. This hesitation stemmed from a myriad of issues including the fact that, inasmuch as I live here, I am not a South African citizen. I also anticipated opposition from the Churches and Prayer Houses. Thirdly, the sheer size and magnitude of the vision is overwhelming and daunting. Fourthly, the depth of resistance from demonic forces is discouraging. And fifthly, I did not know if the initiative would enjoy the support it so badly needs, and from whence it will come. I have been on my knees seeking God on all these concerns and implore everyone’s prayers and support.

I have received many confirmations to begin this mandate. One of them came when a group of Inner City Intercessors Forum in Pretoria requested me to go and speak on corporate prayer shortly after I have received the vision. I shared with them the vision and the urgency in my heart to pray for South Africa and they caught the need and urgency in my spirit. They requested me to write a draft framework of Intercession for the City, which I did. Upon hearing my vision, and the expressed need to pray for South Africa, they were particularly receptive and requested that I prepare a framework of intercession for South Africa. I have since prepared such framework, and copies are available upon request via e-mail. This Initiative has since received some form of endorsement from the said Inner City Intercessors of Pretoria.

I therefore submit to you the idea of a 12-day initiative of Nationwide Intercession, and urge you to support this initiative. This initiative has to be effective, relevant and dynamic. It will require that we travel across the nine provinces of South Africa to collect data on the spiritual status of the Cities within the nine Provinces prior to the initiative, to consult and garner support for the initiative. We will use the adopted framework of intercession to ask questions and for investigation. In each Province, we will go to the capital City to investigate, motivate and consult how best we can pray for South Africa in the 12 day prayer window next year. We will also find out which other major Cities within each Province need a visit. Anyone who is willing to join hands with us is welcome. We are willing to talk to anyone who feels led to support us, from the common man on the streets, to the Businessmen, Provincial Administrators, Church Leaders and all. We will be asking them to share with us how they feel we should pray for South Africa and how they can be involved.

As we go a long to each Province, we will be in prayer. Our ultimate goal will be to usher God's Presence in all of South Africa. We will be seeking God for a spiritual shift, cleansing and breakthrough for South Africa. We will be mobilizing intercessors for next year's election as well as the 2010 World Cup. The time to pray is now. There is urgency in the Spiritual realm to pray. God is looking for men and women to stand in the gap. Going to all the provinces has been motivated and premised by the fact that the destiny of South Africa is the hands of God. All South Africans need to travail in prayer to ensure that the purposes of God are not aborted. Intercessors will be like Midwives or Air traffic controllers. We will seize every opportunity to teach strategic intercession to any group that feels ill equipped.

The trips to all Provinces and eventually the Nationwide 12 day Intercession initiative for South Africa, comes at a time when the country is faced with major challenges in leadership, economics, security and social-cultural issues. The masses are seeking for divine clarity and a prophetic voice saying "This is the way walk in it”. African Nations are also watching to see what will happen to Africa’s economic powerhouse - South Africa. We will also be mobilizing Intercessors from all other African Countries to be involved in this mandate. We cannot allow the spirit of Cain to dominate us. We are our brothers’ keepers. South Africa is the feet of Mother Africa and the devil is planning to demobilize, incapacitate and infect Africa's feet. If South Africa is crippled by the devil, the rest of Africa will feel the pain.

God is calling African Nations to be part of strategizing and implementing the 12 Day Nationwide Intercession initiative. The Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10). I believe it is time for the restoration of the continent of Africa and we need to be our brother's keeper (Genesis 4:9). We are calling upon other African Nations to participate in this Heavenly mandate without malice, ulterior motive and selfish interest. I am truly convinced and believe that it is time for the restoration of the continent of Africa and each and everyone needs to put his or her shoulder to the wheel. Any delegation that wants to come for this mandate should inform us as early as possible. They should not come expecting anything from us. They should come to invest prayer in the country of South Africa. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide any transport, subsistence nor accommodation and as such, each individual, each group will have to take care of their costs such as transport, food and accommodation etc

Detailed planning for the 12 Day Nationwide Initiative will be undertaken by a National Strategic Team which will be constituted by people drawn from the nine provinces who will act as a think tank. I think that this strategic think tank needs to comprise different types of expertise and not limited to clergymen.

One can not help but be apprehensive about the participation of Clergy. However the input of Ministries, Churches, Prayer Houses and Apostolic Bases of all flavors, convictions and persuasions will be exceptionally appreciated. We are trusting God to sow the seeds of interest to many hearts. We are also keen to hear from people who are already doing something in the form of prayer along these lines. It needs to be emphasized that there are no personal rewards envisaged from this Initiative as all potential proceeds will be unto the Lord.

We are anticipating challenges in this aspect and we are praying that God will pleasantly surprise us. God will fight our battles and He will deal with every group that plans to over throw, abort, distract, dilute or deter the mandate. We will also be on the look out for "friendly fire". God Himself will provide the people that need to be involved in this mandate. We are confident that God is laying the same kind of burden in many hearts. We need to consolidate and do something of eternal significance.

Your feedback in this regard will be appreciated. Let us know what you are thinking and doing if you are already praying along these lines. Jesus Christ, who is the Commander in Chief of the Heavenly Hosts will be the only One receiving ALL glory. Leaders motivated by personal gain and glory will not be welcome to this mandate. All financial and resources contributions will be unto the Lord and we will not allow the spirit of manipulation or control.

We will keep the mandate pure, focused and forceful in its deliberations and implementation. We encourage every aspect of this mandate to be prayed for before any action is taken. We will trust God for the right people, the right dates and the right prayer focus. We will call in the finances, logistics and publicity for the implementation of this mandate. We encourage political parties, corporations, businesses, organizations, institutions and individuals to write to us 12 key areas we should pray for Nation of South Africa. The 12 prayer points should be written in order of priority. The 12 prayer points will be processed through strategic prayer, fasting and deliberations. Out of the cumulative nationwide requests and collected data, we will eventually provide a Strategy for the 12 days of Nationwide Prayer. We need participation from all parts of the country. Communicate with us if you would like us to meet with you as we criss-cross South Africa for this mandate. Indicate which Province, City and Suburb you come from. We also need your name, age, profession, e-mails and telephone numbers.

We are targeted to capitalize on the statistical fact that 79.8 South Africans are Christians. We need to pray and “move the mountains” (Mark 11:23-26). We need to make a statement in the spiritual realm. We need to do our part in shaping the destiny of this nation.

We appeal to participants to desist from sending biased, subjective and partisan requests. We will be praying for the overall mandate of the Nation of South Africa. Our objective is to invoke purpose, plan and destiny for the Nation of South Africa.

We are encouraging intercessory groups in each province to integrate and abstain from promoting tribal, racial, xenophobic or denominational biases in this mandate. We will be seeking to eradicate racial, tribal, denominational or xenophobic biases and ideological strong-holds through this 12 day Nationwide Intercession initiative.

Our objective is to invoke purpose, plan and destiny for the Nation of South Africa.

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ bless you, lead you and equip you for His good purposes.

In His Mandate,

Apostle Symon Kariuki

Kingdom Age Network of Apostles and Prophets (Kanap

P.O Box 13754,

Hatfield 00128

Pretoria - South Africa

+27 729 774 462 / +27 12 347 8668

kanapinstitute@gmail.com

kanap@telkomsa.net

www.kanap.org

We call on all of you to support this prayer walk initiative around the perimeter of South Africa through prayer and personal involvement. The aim is to stand against social, economical and moral decay, proclaim righteousness and bless the country and its people. On 14 March the first two of 10 groups of men will start this walk near Augrabies in the Northern Cape and make their way around the border, the last two groups ending in Durban on 18 April. There are inclusive of walkers, logistical, administrative and intercessory support, close to 200 people involved of different church denominations and cultural backgrounds.

Vision

To rebuild broken walls and gates in South Africa and proclaim the Lordship of Christ over South Africa and praying that the nation will return to God.

Mission

For born again children of the Lord (men) to conduct a prayer walk of the perimeter of South Africa or as close as possible thereto, as a prophetic action to confess and repent our sins of iniquity, injustice, crime, violence and destruction and proclaim the Name of Jesus and pray for His blessing in the cities, on the roads and at the gates of South Africa.

Purpose

To intercede for the nation of South Africa; repenting of our iniquity and sin and ask God to restore and heal our nation.

Demise of Islam as a negative spiritual Force?

Islam had not yet recovered from setbacks when Ahmed Deedat, the well-known apologist and Muslim debater, died. Surprisingly, his death on 8 August 2005 was hardly mentioned in the South African media outside of Islamic circles. Soon hereafter, the background of the stroke, which he suffered in May 1996, was published on a website by Dave Foster, a missionary based in Durban. Foster, an SIM missionary from Canada, who had been ministering in the Durban area for many years with his wife Kathy, was well-known for his gentle, friendly and peaceful approach in reaching Muslims. In the article he revealed how he had become involved in a highly confrontational encounter with Deedat.

Ahmed Deedat’s spiritual heirs announced at some stage that they would take all his books from the shelves that are offensive to Christians. But it became known that the Islamic Propagation Centre International (IPCI) had started to actively raise funds to reprint an inflammatory booklet. It was exactly the full-page publication of this material which brought Foster and Durban ministers to challenge Deedat to renounce his heresy publicly or face God’s wrath. His failure to do this was followed by a medical condition where he could not speak normally for more than nine years, confined to different hospital beds all of the time.

Hastings, Adrian - The Church in Africa, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 2004

(276 has)

p.358/9 Possibly Nowhere else in the world with the exception of New Zealand as in South Africa a country was so thickly populated with missionaries. The multitude of White missionaries in southern Africa and the very healthy conditions they enjoyed there however inhibited the growth of indigenous clergy.

White settlement also crushed the societies that had lived there and dispossessed them of a great part of their land. The simultaneous wave of missionaries was seen and resented as part and parcel of the same thing. Furthermore, White South Africans did not want successful Blacks. The only thing they want from Blacks was cheap labour. The Black Christian was 'restricted to an increasingly boring existence inside a sort of cultural no man's land, neither African nor European: forced or persuaded to abandon the one society but refused admittance to the other.' This had to lead to an explosion – Ethiopianism.

p. 359 It is on record how Henry Callaway, an Anglican missionary of exceptional ability and understanding of African culture changed considerably. After initial concern at the raping of African culture he adapted as the years passed, until he came 'to believe instead in the necessity of the imposition of European ways for the accomplishment of evangelization'

Missionary Arrogance: a LMS missionary (William Ellis) wrote a report including a typical conclusion in 1855: The native Churches have not hitherto and do not now contain young men of piety and talent or attainments to render them suitable for becoming students for the Christian ministry

Completeness of White control, lack of sympathy with African culture and identification of Christianity with the standards of the Victorian middle class combined to hinder the spread of the Gospel

Lack of sympathy with African culture manifest in such things as the hard line against circumcision and increasingly lobola. Polygamy was another big hurdle because most missions refused to baptise men with more than one wife.

At the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearing it was sad that Ds Freek Swanepoel, Moderator of the General Synod of the DRC, had to concede that he could speak on behalf of the whole denomination. There had been some who did not want him to speak and apologise. Very powerfully he noted how the synods of 1990 and 1994 confessed and apologised to church members that they have been misled for decades. In a moving and meaningful moment he not only asked forgiveness from the 'prophets' from their midst who had to pay a high price for their criticism of apartheid, but he also confessed their guilt 'in respect of the Black and Brown co-citizens'.

The 1978 Sendingkerk synod rejected apartheid outright because this would be tantamount to denying the power of the reconciliation of Christ. Four years later, on 6 October 1982, a draft confession was accepted. After intense discussion among the church members, it was accepted on 26 September 1986, to become quite widely known as the Belhar Confession. Because the document condemned apartheid as a heresy, it remainded a red herring for many in the Dutch Reformed Church family.

1982: Confession by the church for the injustice perpetrated to women by excluding them for generations from office in the church .

Kerk en Samelewing 1990: 'Enige poging van 'n kerk om so 'n sisteem Bybels-eties te probeer regverdig, moet as 'n ernstige dwaling beskou word, dit wil sê as in stryd met die Bybel.'

Alvin Grout

the Poison of Language Vibes

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <acloete@isales.co.za>
Date: Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 9:16 AM
Subject: how can we help? Some suggestions!
To: richard.sikakane@dha.gov.za, martha.mgxashe@dha.gov.za,yolisa.mzamane@dha.gov.za, Mpho Sithole <Mpho.Sithole@dha.gov.za>
Cc: Braam <braam@passop.co.za>, David <action@edico.org.za>, Nzwaki <esperance@mweb.co.za>, Phaladi <phaladictrc@telkomsa.net>, Anaclet Mbayagu <m.anaclet@gmail.com>

Hi Richard,
How are you. I do hope that things may get better and better as you settle
in in your new function.

I was at the Nyanga offices on Monday morning again, but I was unable to
meet you personally. It seems that one would need a cellphone number to get
an appointment with you because it has been impossible to get through to you
telephonically if one tried to use your reception last week (via 021
3805000). Either nobody picked up the phone or it was engaged. I also had
this problem in the past but not as bad as recently. I trust you will be
able to look into this serious matter.

Did you receive my email of 5 July below? As yet I have not received any
reply to it. I did notice however that the situation in Nyanga has not
improved. In fact, it very much reminded me of the bad days at the customs
house premises in the city. The need for a meeting with stakeholders - in
order to assist you in getting some handle on the situation would definitely
not be a luxury at this stage.

May I repeat my question: *Is there any reason for returning to the state of
affairs where you have so many different nationalities on any given
day? Why do you not return to the modus to have certain days for
certain
countries, a method which worked so well at the beginning of the year? That
should drastically reduce the numbers which must cause stress to everybody
there. I also would like to repeat *my other suggestion: to let all asylum
seekers come every six months (and not only newcomers). *

Would it really not be an idea to look again at the notion of having *different
services (e.g. extensions, rectifications, newscomers) at different Home
Affairs offices. The big numbers at Nyanga must of necessity lead to stress
to your staff, which could be significantly diminished if the number of
refugees there would be reduced. Of course, I take for granted that such
measures should then be implemented nationally and decision thus taken on a
national level. Because of this, I send this email to the office of the
Director-General in Pretoria, with whom we communicated last year.
            I also dare to express the disappointment of me and other
stakeholders that there is still no system in place whereby persons who have
not been served on any given day are given proof of their presence there,
to obviate them having to be sent away empty-handed a second or even a third
time. Some people have to spend precious money to come to the offices which
they do not have so readily.
            This email is also sent to the other stakeholders' task team and
to the office of the Director-General in Pretoria, with whom we communicated
last year. As stakeholder we trust that l you will call a meeting soon so
that we can put our heads together again in an attempt to bring some
amelioration to the horrible situation for refugees in Nyanga.

Yours faithfully
.
P.S. This email also sent to the other stakeholders' task team
Hi Richard,
Here is the letter about which I spoke.

------- Forwarded message follows -------
From:  Self <acloete@isales.co.za>
To: martha.mgxashe@dha.gov.za, yolisa.mzamane@dha.gov.za
Subject: stakeholders meeting: partial apology
Copies to:  "Braam" <braam@passop.co.za>, "David" <"action@edico.org.za>,
"Dixon" <syldixon@webmail.co.za>, "Nzwaki" <esperance@mweb.co.za>,
"Phaladi " <phaladictrc@telkomsa.net>, "Anaclet Mbayagu" <m.anaclet@gmail.com>
Date sent: Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:59:29 +0200

Dear mss Mgxashe and Mzamane
Thanks for the invitation to the stakeholders meeting at Scalabrini coming
Monday. Unfortunately I would possibly not be there for the beginning of the
meeting, but I will try to join you as soon as I again if at all possible.

I would like to share a concern which I picked up this week at my visits to
the Nyanga offices:
I am very concerned how things have deteriorated there. It looked very much like the bad days last year at the foreshore premises when corruption was rife because of the apparent bad management.

Is there any reason for returning to the state of affairs to have so many different nationalities on any given day? Could you not return to the situation to have certain days for certain countries? That should drastically reduce the numbers which must cause stress to everybody there. I also would like to repeat my earlier suggestion to let all asylum seekers come every six months (and not only newcomers).

After my personal experience and experience with a lady who wanted a paper for rectification of her own document and a paper for her daughter I suggest that workers should be equipped to do all transactions and that a fulltime receptionist be appointed to make appointments for the personnel. It would drastically decrease the number of people in Nyanga if one would not first have to come to make an appointment like for a certain worker and then come again for the actual transaction. How often I tried to phone there with the phone only ringing. And when I did get through to the gentleman responsible for the otgher transaction, he was invatriably not in his office. If I did not bump into Ms Yolisa Msamane by chance, we may not have been able to get another paper in stead of a soiled one. (It is inexplicable to me why Cedric (or somone else cannot also do the
rectification of the date of birth of the lady I tried to assist.) Furthermore, some people who have come from afar, are sent home and asked to return the next day without having any proof that
they have been there. This situation is of course a result of the scores of people the office has to handle on any given day.

I do hope that my suggestions will receive your serious attention and that these and other measures could be implemented so that the number of refugees and other people at your Nyanga offices could be drastically reduced and spare your workers unnecessary stress.

Yours faithfully
Ashley D.I. Cloete,

P.S. A copy is sent to the members of the task team as well as Anaclet
Mbayagu and Duncan Breen from CORMSA

Monday, 13 October 2008

Dear Richard,

I just wanted to report back on our rather poorly attended meeting on Friday. We appreciate though that it would have been difficult – after our lengthy meeting at the Refugeee Centre in Nyanga on Thursday afternoon, that for the bulk of the participant stakeholders it would have been difficult to break away yet again.

We have decided though to attempt the organizing of an indaba here in Cape Town next month with the major role players around the issue of refugees. We deem the matter very urgent in the explosive situation not only in Nyanga. David Jacobs (EDICO) and I will try to set it up with the aid of the Cape Town City Council and other agencies whom we must still approach.

I would like to repeat my request at our meeting on Thursday afternoon, if you could assist in my meeting the Minister of 'Home Affairs' and or Director General in Pretoria tomorrow afternoon or Wednesday, when I hope to attend the Solemn Day of Prayer for our nation. (If they prefer Wednesday, the first thing in the morning or late afternoon looks to be the best options from my side. I could either fly in on Tuesday evening or leave Pretoria in the early evening.)

The bottom line of the stakeholders present at our meeting is that the course the government is traversing with regard to refugees, is very dangerous. From the information I gathered at the Youngsfield camp it seems that all Somalians and Sudanese have been granted asylum, and those from Zimbabwe given another month's 'grace' (?). I expect the bulk of the asylum seekers who have been rejected – if not all – to appeal. All the work (and stress for all of you) this would entail, let alone the costs of such a procedure is really not worth it we deem. First and foremost we have serious problems with a) Fraudulent second interviews with the asylum seekers where the officials don't seem to listen to the stories of destitute traumatised folk b) A general trampling on the dignity of humans made in the image of God.

My appeal to the government officials in Pretoria would rest on the premise of a change of course with regard to refugees, a return to the path that our beloved former President Mandela has left us, viz. to be loving and caring to them because so many of us were afforded love and respect when we were away from home (I was exiled for almost twenty years because of my marriage to a White).

I will be phoning you later today, to see whether you have read this email and/or whether you could arrange an interview for me.

Yours faithfully,

Ashley

P.S. As usual, I send a copy of this letter to the other stakeholders, as well as to offices in Pretoria. So when you phone there, they could have read this letter.

Departing from hesitancy to forward emails, I do it this time. We think that if we don't speak out clearly now, we could become party to allowing to get another God-dishonouring scourge on our statute books - perhaps abomination would be the more biblical word.

The comparison is not fully to the point, but it should be noted nevertheless that we as a notion would have benefited greatly to get a warning against the easy bail law when it came into our statute books in the mid-1990s. The escalation of crime which is now almost impossible to contain, is the sad legacy.
We will be lodging our objection against the decriminalising of along those lines.

We are privileged as a nation that this time round we are forewarned - with the looming massive increase of unemployment - of what could happen to our nation - and especially to destitute females - if pimps and prostitution would be given almost free reign.

Ashley (and Rosemarie)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Africa Christian Action <info@christianaction.org.za>
Date: Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Subject: [Christianaction] Speak Up for Those Who Cannot Speak for Themselves!
To: Christian Action List <christianaction@frontline.org.za>

Speak Up for Those Who Cannot Speak for Themselves!

There seems to be some confusion surrounding the legislative process on prostitution.

The current debate is whether prostitution should be decriminalised or remain criminalised in South Africa.

The submissions the SALRC receive from the public will form part of their recommendations to the Minister of Justice & Constitutional Development. (This is the first part of the process).

Following this, a draft Bill will be tabled by Parliament and the public will again be invited to make written and oral submissions on the Adult Prostitution Bill. (Second part of the process)

Many concerned citizens have been asking, “Won’t the ruling party simply railroad the Prostitution Bill through Parliament like they did with the same-sex ‘marriage’ legislation”?

That meant Parliament had to bring the ‘Marriage Act’ in line with the constitution. Prostitution, however, has no constitutional protection and is not considered a human right.

When Jordan, one of her employees and a prostitute were arrested for contravening the Sexual Offences Act of 1957 in 1996, Jordan took the case to the High Court.

The High Court found that (1) sections of the law that render sex for money a crime were unconstitutional, and that (2) legislation outlawing brothels should be upheld.

Jordan then took the rulings to the Constitutional Court to have the first one confirmed and the second overturned. However, the Constitutional Court upheld both rulings.

The first ruling outlawing prostitution and the second outlawing brothel-keeping were both upheld by the Constitutional Court.

The Court found that outlawing prostitution did not infringe on the rights to human dignity and economic activity.

http://www.safrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/constitution/prostitution1.htm

As a result, the total criminalisation of prostitution including all aspects of the sex industry is very much in line with the constitution.

That means, the only way prostitution will be decriminalised in South Africa - is if those who oppose it - remain silent and uninvolved.

For the sake of all vulnerable women and children in South Africa, I implore you to draft a submission to the SALRC before 30 June 09.

A summary of the SALRC proposals are available at the following link.http://www.doj.gov.za/salrc/dpapers/dp0001-2009_prj107_2009sum.pdf

To help you answer the 9 questions on the total criminalisation option in the SALRC questionnaire – you may request the Family Policy Institute’s submission which contains all the facts drawn from research on prostitution at info@familypolicyinstitute.org

You may email your submissions to Dellene Clark at dclark@justice.gov.za or Carine Pienaar at capienaar@justice.gov.za before 30 June 2009.

the government.

According to her, the SALRC will now embark on a long and complicated process which must acknowledge every single submission before making recommendations to the Minister of Justice.

Ms Clark estimates the earliest the Minister of Justice can expect to receive the final recommendations for legislation on adult prostitution is early 2011.

The prostitution lobby did not sit still however. A few months down the road Pastor Errol Naidoo wrote similar letters to the State President and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development.

The Hon Jeffrey Thamsanga Radebe

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development

Pretoria

Re: Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill.

Dear Minister Radebe,

I write as a concerned citizen of South Africa and in my capacity as a representative of a broad

alliance of Christian Churches & Denominations. Family Policy Institute has conducted both local and

international research on prostitution and human trafficking. During the course of our work we have

been confronted with numerous incidences of human trafficking for sexual purposes in South Africa.

As result of this growing threat in our country and in the interest of the safety of thousands of

vulnerable women and children, I appeal to you to expedite the passage of this Bill through the

legislative process and signed into law as a matter of urgency.

I have been in contact with the City of Cape Town’s Vice Squad on Prostitution and am shocked to

discover that there is a discernable increase in sex trafficking and the proliferation of illegal brothels

in Cape Town. Christian ministries I am associated with confirm similar activity in other SA cities.

In my discussions with law enforcement officials I discovered that the Prevention and Combating of

Trafficking in Persons Bill – once passed by Parliament and signed into law by the president - will

significantly increase and strengthen the South African Police Service’s scope and ability to

investigate and prosecute cases of human trafficking in South Africa.

Reports I have received indicate there is a marked increase in activity in the illegal sex industry in

anticipation of the World Cup Finals which include local and foreign nationals involved in trafficking

girls as young as 12 into prostitution.

This current and growing threat against our women and children warrant the urgent action of

government as it is government’s primary responsibility to secure the safety of its citizens.

I therefore appreciate your urgent attention to this matter and await your positive response in this

regard.

Sincerely

Errol Naidoo

Family Policy Institute

49 Parliament St Cape Town

Tel: 021 462 7888

Fax: 088 021 462 7889

Dear Prayer partners,
We thank the Lord that the xenophobic threats have up to now not been carried out in terms of ongoing violence. However, as we have previously indicated, philoxenia (love for the stranger) has not yet taken off in our country!

I was phoning the Refugee Centre a half an hour ago w.r.t. to the resumption of our compassionate ministry there after our absence the last few months (Because of the World up outreach) and our trip overseas. I now had to hear from the Director that there is a court order that they have to vacate the premises by 23 August. The Refugee Centre has tried for months to get alternative premises, but xenophobic attitudes by neighbouring companies have effectively blocked every other possibility. They have no alternative, so that the facility will have to close down unless there is a major change of heart. And this is the reason for our urgent prayer request.

You may remember how glad we were for the wonderful service delivery that emanated from the new premises in Maitland after the traumatic conditions at other venues since 2007.

The Director of the Refugee Centre has just told me that they want to request more time to look for alternative accommodation, but that a certain company has been very adamantly stating that they would oppose any such request.

I have now contacted Barry Isaacs, the regional co-ordinator of Transformation (Global day of Prayer) and a member of the Consultation of Christian Churches executive, as well as a member of the regional Religious Forum. He agreed to join me in an hour and a half to speak to the firm that opposes the proximity of the Refugee Centre, without any prior appointment.

Please pray with us for a miracle, that the Lord may give a complete change of heart so that the facility in which thousands of rand have been invested over the last year or so, can continue to be used for the forseeable future.

How thankful we were that although the Refugee Centre was given some reprieve to operate at the Maitland premises till the end of October. They could not find alternative premises. Although they were constantly operating with the sword of Democles hovering over their heads we were very happy that by Christmas 2010 they were still there. What possibly helped the situation was that a government decree expected all Zimbabweans in the country to get legalised by 31 December 2010. This might have made the neighbours more lenient not to attempt to press for the enfoercement of the court order and the inevitable eviction.

11.11.2010

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) have finally decided to hold a tribunal to hear representations from complainants against Special Assignments appallingly biased program (31 Aug) that claimed to explore the proposed legislation to ban internet pornography. Several Christian viewers lodged complaints against the SABC for blatantly distorting the facts, demonising Christians, fabricating evidence and ignoring scientific data from experts. The tribunal will be held on 29 Nov at the BCCSA HQ in Johannesburg. I will attend the hearing and present my case before a BCCSA panel. Please pray for a victory against liberal media bias.

I met with former ANC MP, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge and her team from the "Embrace Dignity" Campaign on 6 Nov. We discussed a strategic alliance and in particular, our common goal to prevent decriminalised prostitution and end the sexual exploitation of women & children in SA. We have agreed to begin formulating a policy solution specifically focused on addressing South Africa and Africa’s unique challenges with regard to prostitution & its links to organised crime.

The international experts on prostitution & trafficking from Sweden, the US and New Zealand will add their global expertise to our efforts along with vital input from the local ministries & experts. The goal is to present a draft policy solution on prostitution law reform to delegates at the proposed Conference to "End the Sexual Exploitation of Women & Children", scheduled for 2011.

I am also trusting God the Project Care Co-ordinators across the country will attend the conference next year, so we can discuss and finalise the Church's strategy to help women exit prostitution. Following the conference and hopefully consensus on the draft policy, the ministries and partner organisations involved in this initiative will formulate their submissions to Parliament – based on the agreed policy solution - to reduce and eventually eradicate prostitution & sex trafficking.

On 12 Nov FPI will host a meeting of several ministries involved in rescuing women trapped in prostitution & those working to end human trafficking, at the Baptist Church in Cape Town. We will discuss progress including my recent discussions with the international experts & Embrace Dignity, the proposed conference next year and our strategy to develop the policy on prostitution.

Check out this Times Live article by two talented Christian Journos. Happy hooker, hideous myth. http://www.facebook.com/l/c126aUEatFL_pVkvBdDPjObUagA;www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/article750013.ece/Happy-hooker-hideous-myth

I have also written to the newly appointed Deputy Home Affairs Minister, Fatima Chohan and Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana. I trust God for open doors and favour with both these ministries in our quest to ban internet pornography to protect children. Please continue to pray that this legislation will succeed.

Blessing or Cursing Israel

In 2010 the US campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI) announced it had collected 500 endorsements from US academics for an academic and cultural boycott of Israel. The endorsements were seen as a sign of changing US attitudes toward Israel in the wake of an Israeli raid on a humanitarian aid flotilla in the Mediterranean.

Proposals for an academic boycott of Israel were inspired by the historic academic boycott of South Africa which were an attempt to pressure South Africa to end its policies of Apartheid. The goal of proposed academic boycotts is to isolate Israel in order to force a change in Israel's policies towards the Palestinians which opponents claim to be discriminatory or oppressive.

The proposals have been opposed by many scholars and politicians, who describe the campaign as "profoundly unjust" and relying on what they consider to be a "false" analogy South Africa. One critical statement has said that the boycotters apply "different standards" to Israel than other countries, that the boycott is "counterproductive and retrograde" and that the campaign is anti-semitic and comparable to Nazi boycotts of Jewish shops in the 1930s.

Despite these oppositions, academic boycott initiatives have been undertaken internationally. In a contribution viewed as historically significant owing to comparisons between Apartheid South Africa and Israel, an academic petition supported by more than 250 academics was launched in South Africa in September 2010 with prominent supporters such as Professors Breyten Breytenbach, Antjie Krog and Mahmood Mamdani,

On 29 October 2010 Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu urged a South African opera company to boycott Israel, comparing its treatment of Palestinians to his own country's era of racial apartheid.

The Nobel peace prize laureate said it would be ''unconscionable'' for Cape Town Opera to perform in Israel while millions there were denied access to culture and education.

November 3, 2010

Dear Archbishop Desmond Tutu,

I write to you with a heavy heart. You are a revered leader in South Africa, and, recently, have added your iconic voice to the campaign for sanctions against Israel.

Archbishop, I feel compelled to write because I believe that you are making a terrible mistake. Without truth there can be no justice, and without justice there can be no peace. The Talmud says, “The world stands on three things: justice, truth and peace.” These three values are inseparable. Archbishop, I am convinced that the sanctions campaign against Israel is morally repugnant because it is based on horrific and grotesquely false accusations against the Jewish people.

The truth, Archbishop, is that Israel is not an apartheid state. In the State of Israel all citizens - Jew and Arab - are equal before the law. Israel has no Population Registration Act, no Group Areas Act, no Mixed Marriages and Immorality Act, no Separate Representation of Voters Act, no Separate Amenities Act, no pass laws, or any of the myriad apartheid laws. Israel is a vibrant liberal democracy with a free press and independent judiciary, and accords full political, religious and other human rights to all its peoples, including its 1 million-plus Arab citizens, many of whom hold positions of authority including that of cabinet minister, member of parliament, and judge at every level of the judiciary, including that of the Supreme Court of Israel. All citizens vote on the same roll in regular, multi-party elections; there are Arab parties and Arab members of other parties in Israel’s parliament. Arabs and Jews share all public facilities, including hospitals, and also malls, buses, cinemas and parks, and, Archbishop, that includes universities and opera houses.

The other untruth is the accusation of the illegal occupation of Arab land. Like the apartheid libel, this is outrageously false. There is no nation on earth that has a longer, deeper and more profound connection to their country than the Jewish people have to the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem.

Archbishop, you and I as religious leaders always turn to the Bible as a source of truth. What does it mean that Israel is the “promised land”? It means, as we both know, that it was promised by G-d to the Jewish people as the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This promise was delivered upon by G-d, more than 3300 years ago when Joshua led the Jewish people into the land of Israel. Since then there has been an unbroken Jewish presence in the land of Israel, albeit small during the exile. All the books of the Hebrew Bible - Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah etc. - describe the deep connection between Jews and the land of Israel, including the West Bank, whose biblical names are Judea and Samaria, the area that contained the great cities of the two previous Jewish commonwealths, such as Jericho, Shiloh, where the Tabernacle stood for hundreds of years, Bet El, where Jacob had his vision of the ladder, and Hebron, where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are buried together with their wives Sarah, Rebecca and Leah.

Three thousand years ago great capitals of today did not exist. There was no London or Paris, no Washington or Moscow, no Pretoria or Cape Town but there was a Jerusalem, a Jewish city, capital of a Jewish state. “If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget its cunning ... if I fail to elevate Jerusalem above my foremost joy.” Those words from Psalms are recited by Jews at every wedding; at every funeral the statement of comfort to the mourners refers to Zion and Jerusalem. Jews pray for Jerusalem three times a day and also in the grace after meals.

Archbishop, the Arab/Israeli conflict is not about a struggle against apartheid or occupation. It is a century-long war against the very existence of Jews and of a Jewish state in Israel. There have already been seven major Arab/Israeli wars since the birth of the modern state of Israel. Today the war front includes an alliance between Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, the latter now with 40 000 rockets aimed at Israeli cities. Iranian officers train Hezbollah forces, while Iran pursues nuclear weapons and openly declares its aim of wiping out Israel. Hamas, the Palestinian government in Gaza, sides with Iran and Hezbollah in rearming with the declared aim of destroying Israel.

Since 1967, one aspect of this century-long conflict has been the demand for a Palestinian state. In spite of the deep historical and religious roots of Jews in all of Israel, generations of Jewish leaders have been prepared for the sake of peace to give up ancestral and covenantal land to establish a Palestinian state. So why has there not been peace? The ANC taught us that you can’t make peace on your own. No matter how much the ANC was committed to a peaceful resolution of the South African conflict, until the National Party was prepared to accept that Black South Africans had a place in their own country, there could be no peace. And so too until the Arab/Muslim world accepts that Jews have a right to a state of their own on their ancestral land of Israel, there will be no peace. Jews accepted the United Nations Resolution establishing a Jewish state and a Palestinian state in 1948 but the Arab world rejected it and 5 countries invaded Israel to destroy it. After that, the West Bank and Gaza were in Arab hands until 1967. There was an opportunity then - every day for almost twenty years - to establish a Palestinian state. It never happened. And since then there have been numerous opportunities - each rejected by Arab leaders. Why? Because this war has been more about the destruction of the Jewish state than about the establishment of a Palestinian state. Even today so-called moderate Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas denies Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.

In 2000, the Palestinian leadership launched a massive war of suicide bombers into Israel, leading to more than 1300 Israeli civilian deaths and 10 000 injuries. Proportionately such carnage in South Africa would mean more than 10 000 killed and more than 80 000 injured. Israel erected a security fence with checkpoints to shield it from the attacks launched from the disputed territories. Archbishop, you compare these checkpoints to apartheid South Africa. But they are not about pass laws, which don’t exist in Israeli law. They are on the border between sovereign Israeli territory and the disputed territories of the West Bank and Gaza in order to protect civilians from being murdered, and have been very successful in doing so. These checkpoints - like those which are found at all airports, where people undergo careful security scrutiny, and often invasive searches - are there to prevent suicide bombers from blowing up innocent people.

Archbishop, do not bestow respectability on the immoral sanctions campaign - an affront to truth and justice, which prevents peace and prolongs the terrible suffering of people on both sides of this painful conflict. Archbishop, let us pray for an end to all this agony, and for the fulfilment of the verse in the Book of Isaiah, “And the L-rd G-d will wipe away the tears from all faces.”

Yours sincerely,

Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein

Dear Dr Tutu,

I did not anticipate that I would write to you yet again in this short space of time. I don't know whether you had chance to read my previous email in which I highlighted views that you have expressed in the past. I am afraid that what I said was perhaps not so encouraging or uplifting. Please forgive me if I offended you, sounding perhaps prescriptive. Sometimes I can put my opinion too strong and forceful.*

Especially in the light of the verbal attacks on you of recent days, I want to ensure you that I am praying for you. I gladly recall my appreciation and thankfulness to you in our common struggle days. When we were agonizing around the issue of the women and children of Crossroads and KTC who had been forcibly bused to the Transkei, I was so much encouraged at that time to hear that you were retreating for days of fasting and prayer. Also from other sources I gathered that you took prayer very seriously.

An email has just been forwarded to me with certain views that you have uttered down the years about Israel and the Jews. I could imagine that you yourself are possibly not so happy with some of the things that you have said in days gone by. While I support and share your prophetic speaking out on behalf of the Palestinians who have been maltreated in ways akin to our people under the previous regime, I have a great personal concern about some of the issues you raised. I would have loved to talk through some of them and prayed with you if that were possible by any means. I am aware though that you are very busy and you should actually really enjoy your retirement.

You should know that my wife (a German) and I love Israel and the Jews, at the same time we also love Muslims. From a biblical point of view Israel is the 'apple of God's eye' (Zechariah 2:8).

Since my teenage years I was deeply impacted in the SCA and influenced to work towards visible expression of the unity of the body of Christ. Born and bred in the apartheid context, reconciliation and prayer have always been very important to me. The unfortunate estrangement of Christians, Jews and Muslims has been an issue that I attempted to address covertly for a long time.

My wife and I have been challenged in recent weeks to be more purposeful with regard to visible local expression of the unity of the body of Christ, the strengthening of ties of followers of Jesus across the board. Already shortly after Lausanne III we felt challenged to have another bash at getting involved with reconciliation in our divided country - that you so vividly depicted as a rainbow nation. Has Paul not already written that this is exactly what the Church should be depicting into the spiritual realm – the multi-coloured, multi-faceted, manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10)? We started by bringing together followers of Jesus from the Abrahamic religions, i.e. also Jewish Messianic and Muslim background believers.

In closing, I want to say that I am praying for you, that God may give you special wisdom at this time to respond to your critics in a reconciling and loving way. You should furthermore know that I definitely do not want to glibly criticise you.

Greeting you cordially and fraternally,

Yours in the grip of our master,

Ashley D.I. Cloete

*A brother in Christ blessed and challenged me tremendously around 1979 when I asked for his comment on my compilation of personal letters to our government with the title 'Honger na Geregtigheid', which is still unpublished. He noted that he missed compassion and love in the treatise. He compared my manuscript with an overdose of medicine to a sick patient.

Semi-political Involvement

At this time things started hotting up as the Palestinian Authority stepped forward to declare themselves independent unilaterally. Archbishop Tutu and Dr Allan Boesak had been making statements which give the impression that South African Christians in general supported this. I felt constrained to attempt getting involved to set the record straight. I doubted sincerely that the two church leaders had the backing of the bulk of believers in this country.

Thinking that the Consultation of Christian Churches was the best institution to make an attempt towards an inclusive statement that stays clear from divisive issues like Replacement Theology, I wrote an email to Rev Peter Langerman to this effect. I was misled to perceive that the Security Council of the UN was set to vote very soon.

I hoped that our government would encourage the counterparts on both sides of the main Middle East tussle to continue vigorously to achieve a negotiated settlement and to refrain from unilateral decisions. At a meeting with three members of the CCC executive we decided however not to proceed with any further action at that point in time. In retrospect, that was not the best decision. The situation deteriorated gradually.

Next to my advocacy for fairness to Israel, I also deemed it necessary once to appeal for fairness to the Palestinians. When Dr. Tutu and my old buddy were vocal again calling Israel an apartheid state, I made another attempt to intervene in a low-key way, starting off by writing to Barry Isaacs on 15 August 2011 when I heard that Israeli students were visiting Cape Town:

Have you thought of letting the students meet Drs Tutu and Boesak? .. I am quite keen to go along - perhaps getting reconciled to the Archbishop in the process! (We are not at loggerheads though, hey. It is just that I challenged him on two issues to which he preferred not to respond.) I have been praying the last few days for Dr. Tutu more than before and should be doing the same for my old buddy in Harmony Park and VCS evangelism Allan Boesak.
The idea came up of getting the Consultation of Christian Churches (CCC) involved. The same day I followed this up with another email to Barry after speaking telephonically to Pastor Chris Eden of Bridges for Peace who had brought out the students.

Having spoken to Chris Eden and hearing that the students will only arrive here on Thursday, I was wondering whether you could not get the Religious Forum involved and invite Drs Tutu and Boesak to a meeting with the students at a neutral venue such as at Provincial Parliament. I would love to be part of the CCC delegation. On 20 August 2I wrote two other emails to Revv. Richard Verreyne and Peter Langerman, two other church leaders and executive members of the CCC/

Hi Peter,
Please find below what I wrote to Richard regarding the issue Israel as an apartheid state. Perhaps we could try and get the two gentlemen together in one venue e.g. at Bishop Tutu's residence? That might give them some feeling of mutual support. At the same time we may pray that the Lord may give us grace to discern His mind to address the nation. I am sure every Christian would prefer divine blessing rather than His curse (Cf. Genesis 12:3)

Regards,
Ashley

Hi Richard!
Thinking a little bit further on my suggestion of calling a CCC meeting on the issue of Israel being an apartheid state, I was just wondering whether a delegation of the CCC could go and see the archbishop and my old buddy in evangelism. Quiet diplomacy, to help them not to lose face, might be perhaps the better way than calling a public meeting. The latter could be done later and at that occasion they could come (or send a written statement) and give hopefully their considered changed views on Israel.

I am quite keen to go along to visit my former struggle allies - perhaps getting reconciled to the Archbishop in the process? (We are not at loggerheads though, hey! It is just that I have challenged him on two issues - his position on Israel and the role of the Church in apartheid days to support violence (not even always) covertly - to which he preferred not to respond.)

I suggested that the CCC executive send an email to its members with a request for a quick response to a press statement which could run along the following lines:

… Very much aware that the founder of our faith was a Jew, Christians have a natural affinity to Israel and Jews in general. Whilst aware that the Israeli state and military apparatus have not been innocent in past decades in an attempt to enforce their authority, we are also aware that Christian Arabs in general are very contented to live in the country, rather than in any of the neighbouring states. We are satisfied that the country adheres to democratic principles and that no group is being officially discriminated against as we had it in our country in the sad apartheid era. Arabs are even represented in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament...

8/20/11

to Peter, Barry, Richard

Hi Peter,
Please find below what I wrote to Richard regarding the issue Israel as an apartheid state. Perhaps we could try and get the two gentlemen together in one venue, e.g. at Bishop Tutu's residence? That might give them some feeling of mutual support. At the same time we may pray that the Lord may give us grace to discern His mind to address the nation. I am sure every Christian would prefer divine blessing rather than His curse (Cf. Genesis 12:3)

Regards,
Ashley

Have you thought of letting the students meet Drs Tutu and Boesak? I am quite kee to go along - perhaps getting reconciled to the Archbishop in the process! (We are not at loggerheads though, hey. It is just that I challenged him on two issues to which he preferred not to respond.) I have been praying the last few days for Dr. Tutu more than before and should be doing the same for my old buddy in Harmony Park and VCS evangelism Allan Boesak.

I subsequently met the three executive members in a restaurant where I was told that the church leaders of the Western Cape are too divided to get involved in any way to oppose the statements of Drs. Tutu and Boesak. For many years thereafter I made no further attempt forcefully to advocate on behalf of Israel and the Jews.

The next major attempt to practise advocacy on behalf of Israel occurred at the visit of Muslim background Pastor Umar Mulinde from Uganda, who miraculously survived an assassination attempt on Christmas Eve, 2011. Coming from a person who has been persecuted for his faith, Pastor Mulinde’s message had a special spice. He highlighted that believers often keep quiet because of fear, whereas people whose plans are evil are bold. He stressed that the best way to fight terrorism, is to give people the gospel. 'We have to oppose the spirit of Islam, but love the Muslims.'

What was especially striking to the people listening to his story at the different venues, was that Pastor Mulinde, who clearly bore the marks of someone who had suffered greatly for his faith, also stood with Israel and the Jewish people. I hoped naively that church leaders would get on board against our government's anti-Israel stance in 2012. I wrote an email to minister colleagues with the following content after the visit by Pastor Umar Mulinde where he had shared at meetings in August how the Church there countered efforts to introduce Sharia Law in their country.

I wrote the following email to pastoral colleagues:

Dear Pastoral Colleagues,

At the City Bowl ministers' fraternal this week, one of the colleagues brought up the concern that a cabinet minister has recently presented a government view that is in all likelihood only supported by a small majority of the population.

The tragedy is that the anti-Israel position our country has taken, may take us towards an economic precipice. It is probably no co-incidence that the view expressed on 14 August was followed by the Lonmin mine disaster two days later which brought the currency decline and the unprecedented rise in the price of petrol and a string of mine strikes in its train. (This is definitely not the first time that some form of divine wrath followed the 'cursing' of the apple of God's eye (Compare Genesis 12:3).

The brother colleague expressed his concern at the ministers' fraternal that the Church is so quiet. In recent weeks Pastor Umar Mulinde of Uganda encouraged us with the example in the country when a minority succeeded to get a proposal for Shariah Law onto their statute books. The Church stood up in united opposition to that move.

The question is: Must we wait until similar moves also happen here? The point is that there are many a precedent in Africa where countries went into serious economic decline after turning against Israel in recent decades (DR Congo (Zaire), Malawi).

In a recent radio broadcast Pastor Barry Isaacs gave seven reasons why Christians should support Israel. I asked him to email this to me. Please consider them in the attached document and please comment. Do you agree that it is time that the Church should speak out; that it is time for the silent majority – which we believe is present in South Africa, notably in the Church – should we take a stand in opposition to those in government who express views which will harm all of us in due course?

Blessings, On Sun, Dec 2, 2012 our friend Achmed Kariem disseminated an email in which he opined a view with which I was not happy at all:

Leviticus 19:34 requires the Jews to love strangers in their land as themselves. But since non-Jews were prohibited from practicing idolatry and had to observe the Sabbath and other Jewish rules, the only way to love the non-Jews was to make them equal to Jews—through assimilation. Luckily the Palestinian Arabs would not accept that option. Another possible sense of the biblical commandment is not oppressing aliens, as Egypt did the Hebrews, but that does not imply religious toleration of Muslims, as evident from numerous condemnations of places of pagan worship. Beside, many Israeli Arabs are not peaceful strangers but often dislike Jews and Israel and pose a real threat to Israel’s survival as a Jewish country by exploiting democratic institutions through the swelling numbers of Arabs.

… I am not very happy with the dissemination of this email. Why should we try to dilute the biblical command to love the stranger in our gates. Does it mean that we must also rationalise our love to foreigners in our country? In stead, we should erect signs of our coming king as Ezekiel (47:21ff) also prophesied for the end times when Jews should take up their inheritance, along with the foreigners who have settled there.

Rationalisation of injustice we also had in the apartheid days. Love drives out fear. Reactionary politics is never a good guideline. Love your enemy is a much better one. That is what Jesus taught.

The mix of advocacy on behalf of foreigners in South Africa and fair treatment of Israel by our government resulted in me writing a letter to the editor of Die Burger which however never got 'posted.'

As iemand wat my jare lank as Suid-Afrikaner vanuit die buiteland beywer het vir versoening tussen die rasse hier te lande, mag ek nou met dankbaarheid terug kyk op wat God bewerk het. Met besorgdheid en teleurstelling moes ek helaas kyk na dit wat nou gebeur het in die debat rondom de Midde Ooste. Ons as Suid-afrikaners het ongelukkig soveel 'reg van spreek' en outoriteit verloor deur ons eie xenophobiese behandeling van buitelanders. Daarvan getuig die manier hoe huidiglik asielsoekers by die Vlugtelingsentrum van Buitelandse Sake behandel word. Met skaamte kon ons verlede immers bowendien onlangs getuie wees op televisie hoe ons polisie 'n burger van Mosambiek eers mishandel het en daarna keer op keer probeer het om hulleself met flou verontskuldigings te verdedig.

Waarom beywer ons Suid-afrikaners ons nie meeer duidelik vir versoening tussen Palestyn en Jood nie - in plaas van op onkonstruktiewe wyse kant te kies? Met die nodige terughoudendheid sou ons m.i. nietemin 'n bydrae kan lewer in die Midde Ooste debat deur meer uitgesproke te bid en te werk vir versoening tussen die nasate van Isak en Ismael. Immers het die twee oudste seuns van Abraham hulle vader saam begrawe (Genesis 25:9).

Die Midde-Ooste polemiek in Die Burger herinner my met leedwese aan die vrugtelose diskussie oor grondverdeling van die tagtiger jare wat nou weer kop uitsteek na aanleiding van die ongelukkige 1913 wet. Die beoefening van goeie rentmeessterskap is gevra in plaas van sinlose diskussies oor die regmatige besitters van die land. Ek verstout my om te beweer dat ons land groot genoeg en ryk genoeg is nie slegs vir alle rasse en stamme om hier in vrede te leef nie, maar dat ons selfs vir baie buitelanders uit ander dele van die vasteland tot seën kan wees.

Verder sou ons Israel kan aanspoor en aanmoedig om die strekking van Esegiel 47 ter harte te neem en miskien selfs te begin implementeer terwyl ons ons hand beskeie in eie boesem steek vanweë die behandeling van asielsoekers uit ander Afrikalande. Enersyds staan daar in Esegiel 47 “Ek het met 'n eed beloof dat Ek die land aan julle voorouers sal gee, daarom kom dit julle toe as besitting” (vers 14), maar andersyds “Julle moet die land verdeel … vir julleself en vir die vreemdelinge …. Julle moet sulke vreemdelinge as medeburgers beskou” (vers 22).

When we heard of South Africa voting at UNESCO in a move that denied the Jewish roots of the Temple Mount and the Western Wall of the temple, I included this in our Isaac Ishmael update of 21 October, 2016. This sparked a correspondence which led to an attempt towards a petition by South African Christians:

Dear Siblings,
We do hope this ‘update with a difference ‘ finds you well.

For a few weeks I had hoped to announce that our container has been safely delivered in one of Cape Town’s suburbs. We did not anticipate in the least that the container with contents for our discipling hous(es) which we helped to pack in Holland in May 2015, would still be in the Cape Town harbour in mid-October 2016. But we can report now that the container has been released finally, due to get to its preliminary destination on Monday, 24 October.

The good news of the container – albeit now rather pale – has been overshadowed by the turmoil on tertiary institutions throughout the country.

The media has not always reported it but all of us who lived through (some of) the traumatic times of 1976 (Soweto and schools around the country) 1985/6 (riots repelled with police brutality), 1993/4 (revolutionary political climate with fear of massive Zulu reprisals after the elections) and 1996-9 (PAGAD, People against Gangsterism and Drugs threats including the attempt to Islamise the Western Cape),may remember how the turmoil ignited a groundswell of prayer every time - with a clear divine reply.

Surely the most significant instance in this regard to date was the miracle elections of 27 April 1994. Many of you out there might remember how the Kenilworth St James Church massacre of July 1993 shocked the nation. But this also brought many to their knees in prayer because of the threat of what seemed the inevitable … too ghastly to contemplate (citing a Prime Minister of the apartheid era). In summary: God spared our country the devastation that e.g. Rwanda experienced again and again.*

Why this history lesson? The common thread of the above is that God came through for our nation when we humbled ourselves corporately and prayed… (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Now I take liberty to remind you that the crisis into which the #Feesmustfall campaign has thrusted our nation started a few days after Hamas political chief Khaled Mashaal addressed a government-endorsed rally in Cape Town on Wednesday 21 October 2015. I wonder whether the red-carpet treatment given to the Hamas leaders last year by our government did not actually usher in the turmoil on campuses around the world! Could it be that the arch enemy is attempting to foil the revival various prophecies that God has given from the southern point of Africa? I believe that God wants to bless the nations of the world from the Cape – definitely not to radiate destruction and depression.

In the light of the ‘history lesson’ above, I have liberty to remind all of us that the Bible teaches that satan (spelt with a lower case s on purpose), has always been a liar and a deceiver. I dare to expect that God has great things in store for us as a nation. I praise Him for the wave of prayer that has been sweeping the nation in recent weeks.

Let me highlight again the biblical connection. Because we as a nation cursed Israel - via the invitation and high-profile treatment of Israel’s worst enemy last year by our government - we reaped what we saw on our television screens in recent weeks.

Something happened last week which could have a similar effect. In a 24-6 vote, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) gave its preliminary approval to a resolution that ignores Jewish ties to its most holy religious sites: the Temple Mount and the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Since then Brasilian Christians got their government to retract their vote of approval on the resolution saying that the Temple Mount in Jerusalem had no connection to Judaism.

I was wondering if we as South Africans could not emulate the Brasilians. This would surely be in our best interest!

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Wednesday officially passed its resolution on October 26 denying any Jewish connection to Jerusalem and its holy sites, including the Temple Mount.

The document demands that Israel cease what it calls the “intentional destruction” of Jerusalem’s holy sites, all of which the UN refers to solely by their Islamic names.

The acts of “destruction” referred to by the resolution are in fact archeological excavations being carried out adjacent to the Temple Mount, excavations that have uncovered a wealth of evidence confirming the long historical connection between the site and the Jewish people.

How about starting a petition to get our government to retract their vote?

Shalom,

ASHROSE

some thoughts towards a draft petition

Hi Maditshaba (Stephan, Murray, Barry and Richard)

Please find below some thoughts towards a draft petition, as compiled by Stephan van Niekerk.

I chatted with Murray this morning. He doesn't see any legalities to be specially considered.

My personal take on the matter is that any petition from our side should have a ring of 2 Chron 7:14 around it. It should thus assist towards remorse and repentance, something along the lines of Nehemiah 9 or Daniel 9. I contend that we as Church should ideally be included in an expression of regret for what our representatives at UNESCO have done on our behalf.

Stephan felt that the final version should be (perhaps much??) shorter. We would all agree to this, I think. Everybody will possibly also concur that the wording should be such that the rank and file South African would understand what he is giving his handwriting to.

Here then Stephan’s thoughts.

For your consideration - a concept draft for the secular and denominational church (we can draw up a example of a prayer which could be used as a form of inspiration relative to petitioning the lord to intervene in this affair re getting the government to change its stance and to withdraw its support of this resolution.)

Any denial of the history of the Jews in Israel over the ages (some two thousand years from Abraham to Josephus in AD 70), including that of the temple in Jerusalem, is a denial of the existence of Jesus, who was a Jew. who is the Messiah of all Christians during the last two thousand years (from Cornelius the Roman centurion to the two billion believers who are alive today - which includes some 80 percent of South Africa's total population of 50 million people plus).

Any support of the UNESCO resolution which claims that certain Jewish historical places in Jerusalem (where Jesus was crucified), Bethlehem (where Jesus was born) and Hebron (where David the ancestor of Jesus, ruled one thousand years before Jesus rose from the dead to establish His Kingdom in the hearts of believing men and women all over the world) is contrary to the democratic will of the MAJORITY of people in South Africa, who follow the Christian Faith. If one removes the Jews in Israel from the pages of history, then one is also removing Jesus from the pages of the history of the church and as such it denotes the Christian faith to be baseless and therefore denotes the 'church of Christ' as having of no historical or legal or moral validity and value.

We the undersigned, whom the South African Government represents at this international body for Educational Human Rights, declare our total disapproval of its endorsement of the resolution in question (which was supported by only twenty nations in total and which some 36 other member nations did NOT support - as some 30 nations abstained from voting) and respectfully request that the SA Government reconsiders this decision to support the UNESCO resolution and that it also will withdraw its endorsement thereof - which is wholly undemocratic in nature - as a matter of urgency.

Any action to the contrary, would raise the issue of whether the continued membership of South Africa of this organization should not be reconsidered on the basis that its 'raison d' vivre' is under suspicion since it follows a biased approach to the basic fundamental principle of "seeking the Truth" as per the 'facts on the ground" and universal tenants of the study and teaching of the history of man, which irresponsible approach does not agree with the understanding thereof and ethos of the people of South Africa (which action, but for other politically motivated reasons, the Government is indeed presently doing with regard to the cancellation of its membership of the International Criminal Court, another UNITED NATIONS institution). It is unacceptable that the SA Government will in this way unilaterally approve of a resolution which will remove the entire religious foundation upon which the ethical and legal code of the moral structure of South African society has been built and rests today (including the Constitution of South Africa)..

We the undersigned, citizens of the Republic of South Africa, herewith state unequivocally our desire that the Government of our country should immediately and without reserve withdraw its support of the UNESCO resolution no...... and which has been ratified by the Council of UNESCO on .../../.......

Barry, now somewhere between New York and C.Town, sorry to bombard you with this job! May I suggest that you lead a drafting committee of this very important matter?

Shalom,

Ashley

P.S. Maditshaba felt that this petition does not have to go to church leaders. An appeal to the Body of Christ looks to me also better because church leaders might want to act politically correct.

Dear Pastor Andrew,
Thank you for your email. To introduce myself first: My wife and I have been working for many years as missionaries, first in Holland and now here at the Cape since 1992.

I fully understand your hesitation to render support to the brother known to us as Ayub. We have also encouraged him to take concrete steps of confession Christ first, which could however cost him his life here at the Cape. Here he is the only Somali believer from Muslim background we know. Two others came to the Lord in recent years but one left for another city and the other one now says he is an atheist - we believe out of convenience.)

Your glib suggestion 'Go to church and start telling other Somalis that jesus christ died on the cross for their sins. Live for god and do not deny jesus christ who bought us with his blood', is not very charitable in my view. We adhere to the principle that your namesake Brother Andrew, the founder of Open Doors has so forcibly demonstrated, and we take liberty to suggest that Christian should use Brother Andrew's teaching of using ISLAM as an acronym for I (sincerely) Shall Love All Muslims.

My wife and I will continue to try and walk a road with Ayub, along with co-workers of Open Doors. We continue to encourage him to take concrete steps of getting out of the closet of secretly following Christ, while we minister also to other Somalians. Perhaps we can stay in touch as we monitor the situation.

We continue to pray that the brother might get to a point where Perfect love drives out all fear (1 John 4:18). I copy him in on this correspondence.

Yours in the grip of the Master,
Ashley D.I. Cloete

Hi Amanda (and Esau),

Esau shared with me two weeks ago how the Lord share with me that the Lord has put Devil's Peak on his heart for some time. Could you please forward this email to him. Below I also pasted how I have been recording the process.

cc Barry, Murray and Baruch: Perhaps we could put this on the prayer agenda again tomorrow morning again, especially since we would be in the Provincial parliament again. Baruch and Karen, would this also something to pray about tomorrow evening. This is after all a matter that influences the spiritual climate of our city. Barry, when would be the next meeting of the Religious Forum? It would be good if intercessors know this to pray for you on the day it would be brought into the meeting.

The unofficial Renaming of Devil’s Peak

Possibly because of his own background in drug addiction, Pastor Richard Mitchell had an antenne for spiritual warfare on the heights of the city. The unofficial renaming of ‘Devil’s Peak’ to ‘Disciple's Peak’ - was initiated by Pastor Klopper of the Vredehoek Apostolic Faith Mission Church in 1994. Regular prayer events at Rhodes Memorial by Pastor Richard Mitchell and a group of intercessors fitted into the pattern of spiritual warfare. At the former occasion a big cross was planted on the summit, over-looking the city. These venues had been strongholds of Satanists.

The mass march to Parliament on 2 September 1998 was followed by a big prayer rally on September 26, 1998 when thousands of Christians prayed over Table Mountain in an effort to rename the adjacent reviled peak ‘God’s Mountain.’ The event inspired a new initiative, whereby a few believers from diverse backgrounds started to come together at 6.a.m. for prayer on Signal Hill on Saturdays every two weeks.[13]

Pastor Richard Mitchell and his wife Elizabeth were instrumental in the resumption of these meetings on Signal Hill. When the ‘door’ opened for a regular testimony programme on Friday evenings on Radio CCFM, Richard Mitchell was a natural choice as presenter. The programme ‘God Changes Lives’ was also used to advertise citywide prayer events such as those at the Lighthouse, an important part of the run-up to the big Newlands events. In due course I also produced a programme for the midday devotions every Tuesday with a link to Islam.

The Resumption of the possible Renaming of Devil's Peak

The resumption of the possible renaming of Devil's Peak started towards the end of 2010 when a 'prayer and praise bash' for young people was contemplated for the end of the year. In an email I encouraged believers to pray for

a) The Unity of the Body of Christ

b) For breakthroughs in Sea Point and Bo-Kaap, who of course are the respective focal residential areas of Judaism and Islam in the Western Cape respectively.

Reminding them that we have been praying for many years from Signal Hill for these goals, I proceeded: We have been believing all along that a significant number of new followers of the Lamb and house fellowships in these suburbs would make a big impact on the nation as a whole. We deem simultaneously the lack of Unity of the Body of Christ to have been the arch enemy's prime tool to hamper this move.

At the beginning of 2010 I emailed Alderman Dan Plato, the mayor of Cape Town at the time, in a renewed effort to get negotiations going to Devil's Peak changed. With local elections scheduled I was rather wary for the matter not to become a political ball once again. The office of the mayor referred us to the Province under which Devil's Peak resorts. A certain Ms van der Mewe was my contact person. She reminded me of their meeting of June 3, 2010 if we wanted the matter on the agenda. I replied as follows:

On election day our little group, i.e. Pastor Barry Isaacs, Advocate Murray and myself deliberated again. Regarding the way forward on our part, Pastor Barry Isaacs will be taking our request to the executive of the Religious Forum for input from that side as well. (He is also a member of the Forum). Thereafter we will be approaching representatives of the municipal wards of Devil's Peak and Vredehoek, perhaps even those of Walmer Estate and District Six as well.

It is highly improbable that we will present our application in time for your meeting of 3 June. There is one little hitch. We are no special NPO or group. All of us are engaged in this matter in a private capacity as concerned citizens of Cape Town. As such we never made minutes as such. We could however furnish a report of our deliberations up to this point in time. Would this circumstance influence matters? We prefer to keep matters low-key, to prevent the issue becoming embroiled in politics. If you could advise us for the best way forward in this matter, we would be grateful.

(not sent)
Dear Isaac Ishmael siblings!

Just a brief reminder of our prayer walk in District Six coming Saturday, 22 August! We will start outside the Moravian Church, just off Keizergracht (The Green-roofed church on the extreme left of the CPUT buildings (formerly Cape Technikon) at 14.30h. There is ample parking there. After some historical background and orientation, we will divide into smaller groups, returning to the starting point at 15.45h for reporting back.

This is an exercise of extreme importance in the spiritual realm. We should bear in mind that District Six - together with Bo-Kaap - influenced the history of our country profoundly. When it was a slum area before the Group Areas relocation of the apartheid era, there were many churches. Now the vast majority of new inhabitants are Muslims. District Six is becoming a second Bo-Kaap. We believe that this must be addressed through prayer…

19 August 2015

Dear Brother Stadler, Brethren/sisters,

I would hereby like to request the use of the Moravian Hill Church on Saturday afternoon to start and/or conclude a prayer walk in District Six. We hope that between 20-30 people would attend this event.

Yours in His service,

Ashley D.I. Cloete

P.S. My apologies for this late request. It is only as an afterthought that - with our windy conditions, and it still being winter - we thought that it would also be good to have access to the church building and ablution facilities.

We will be praying especially for a Christian presence to be restored as it has been before Group Areas involvement and that the Cape might impact our country again as it did in the past.

Regards,

Ashley

Dear Rev. Cloete,

Could you please inform us soonest what the prayer walk in District Six is about?

Regards.

Sidney

In my reply of 21 August, I had no suspicion of the shattering news the same day after some telephonic prodding:

We will be praying especially for a Christian presence to be restored as it has been before Group Areas involvement and that the Cape might impact our country again as it did in the past.

Regards,

Ashley

Dear Rev. Cloete,

In view of relationship that the Moravian Church in South has with other religious groups in South Africa, and in view of the public nature of your prayer walk in District Six for the purposes as contained in your e-mail below, your request for use of the Moravian Hill Chapel was declined.

Regards.

Sidney

Really shattered by this response, I still hoped that my track recordcould assist. I copied in influential persons to whom Mr Stadler had sent his reply, two of whom had been student colleagues and one I had taught during a brief stint of quest lecturing there in the 1990s. I wrote in desperation:

Thanks for your response. In the light of our fight against the apartheid government, I am very grieved by this.

Do I have to understand that the Moravian Church thus agrees with the Islamic agenda to make District Six into a second Bo-Kaap as the apartheid government did, i.e. to make a predominant Christian area into a Muslim stronghold?

I copy in those mentioned in your email and add to this Bishop Augustine Joemath.

Blessings,

Ashley D.I Cloete

P.S. I pray that the church Board of the Moravian Church will rectify this response.

That nobody responded to this day grieved me even more.

Fighting for the Retention of the Home Affairs Office in Maitland

Although we are saddened that we are obstructed by your instruction to serve the foreigners coming to the Maitland Office after we had fought quite hard in 2010 - in consultation with Richard Sikakane - when the eviction looked on the cards.

P,S. I would like to point out that we as Friends from Abroad have been involved with discussions with the Western Cape Home Affairs offices since 2007 to fight corruption and xenophobia. Yet, we were not invited to the stakeholders meeting of 2011 that you referred to nor did not receive any minutes of that meeting.

Dear Mr Mathebula,
Referring to our interaction on Tuesday, I am thankful for clarity, albeit that it also increased our concern.

We understand that the Cape Town office is a temporary facility where people whose files are not in Cape Town, are given extensions for only one month. In our view, it should suffice if the message is disseminated to all and sundry that no new applications are being served here in Cape Town. In this way you would be able to deal with the back log in a much more compassionate way.

As Friends from Abroad we want to stress our deep concern that the practise of giving extensions for one month only is causing dire problems to the poor and needy unneccesarily.

A few years ago we have been fighting with other Cape stakeholders for people to get extensions for six months. The government finally agreed to this. Giving an extension for one month only is causing stress, discomfort and expense to the people we should be served at the foreshore premises. It furthermore gives your employers a lot of extra work. We also note that corruption is taking off again at your offices. Corruption would surely be reduced if you bring down the numbers to be attended to, and the service to them could be improved.

Upon my query why a mother with children is required to take her off-spring along to another office far away, you replied that this is official policy which you have to implement. This is the reason for me now to take it up higher.

I dare to suggest a change of policy as a matter of urgency, by getting the files from other offices of those asylum seekers to your offices who reside here. It is rather uncompassionate to punish those who do not have the funds to go to the office far away, to come for an extension month by month (To require of poor people with barely means of subsistence to go to Durban or Johannesburg - with their children - is in fact rather inhumane).

Furthermore, implementing the following measures, which had been practiced in the past, but which have been inexplicably discarded, could even improve conditions on the short term:

a) Requiring all security agents to wear name tags at all times, so that they can be named and shamed in case of corruption. (Many of them don't sport the lanyard with their names and photo)

b) Having different queue lines again for the various needs - as we used to have in Maitland.

I am copying Mr Yusuf Simons in on this email, as well as someone who has a contact in head office. We hereby courteously request government to consider urgently a change of policy where necessary, which would render better services to the poor and needy, of which the refugee community form a big portion.

As a former exile who lived abroad for 20 years because of an uncompassionate regime, I pray that this email will get urgent attention, which will result in loving and hospitable service to our asylum seeking refugees.

Yours patriotically,
Ashley D.I. Cloete

Dear Mr Mathebula,
I have just spoken to Mr Yusuf Simons. It was so good to hear from him that your office has been assisting individuals on merit on compassionate grounds, getting their files from another office. We have been assisting the following two ladies - both of them have been here in Cape town already for a few years - in a little bead work workshop on two days per week to get some bread on the table for the family, Ms Hawa NTIRWAKUNZE (BR 002630) and Nahayo Zabibu (DBN 000220909)

In an earlier email (27 February) I advocated on behalf of Ms Hawa NTIRWAKUNZE. May I trust that her files have been requested or even at your office already?

If not, could you please instruct one of your officials to get the files respectively from Braamfontein and Durban.

Thanking you in advance for your co-operation and for your positive response,

March 13, 2013

Good day

Kindly be informed that only in cases of ill-health and when the principal applicants and family are in Cape Town, however in both cases, the clients' Ref numbers do not exist.

Kind Regards,

N E Mathebula

I found out hereafter that some mistake had been made by one of the officials, with the result that Ms Hawa Ntirwakunze was given a Durban number, although she had never been there. Armed with copies of both ladies, I phoned Mr Mathebula on Tuesday 27 March, making an appointment for 10 a.m. the next day. I had written the following email the previous week:

Email 22 March

Thank you Mr Mathebula for your prompt response. I have investigated the file numbers of the ladies.

Ms Ntirwakunze has given me two copies of Section 24 (3) paper that states that she has been captured in Durban. According to her that is not correct. She has never been in Durban. On these documents - printed in Cape Town on 25.11 2012 and 28.02. 2013 - the respective Appointment force numbers are 53363078 and 21924732.

Ms Minani JAEN Claude has two appointment force numbers captured respectively in Durban (21/09/2009) and Cape Town (28/02/2013) 22302344 and 19098120

I also will be giving them a letter from Friends from Abroad to take along when they come again. Both of them are sickly (Ms Ntirwakunze has been brutally attacked a few months ago and Ms Minani JAEN Claude is a diabetic). both have children which make travel to a distant |Refugee Centre a major finacial challenge I will encourage them to bring along some medical documentation in support. May I appeal for compassion and clemency for both clients once again?

I also intend coming in personally in the next few days with the copies of the papers I now have in my possession, while I advocate on their behalf.

Regards,
Patriotically yours
Ashley D.I. Cloete

When I arrived at the Home Affairs offices to see Mr Mathebula, there were about 10 people who were also waiting while he was in a meeting. More people came subsequently so that we were about 20 people when he arrived at about 11.30 a.m. Rather curtly he announced that he was not going to speak to clients. They had to go to the ground floor. I stood my ground as I regarded myself as a stakeholder, although I was of course advocating for two clients and because I had made the appontment to see him. Without asking who was first of those waiting, he took two ladies at the front with him. After waiting for quite a while, a stake holder colleague then just went to his office. After a minute or two she returned with the news that Mr Mathebula had another meeting. I decided to go to the ground floor and just be a client too. After being witness to the daily abuse that clients were exposed to, I intervened, stating my case.

However, it was all of no avail.

Rather concerned by the latest ruling from Pretoria, I went to see the folk from the Scalabrini Centre, a Roman Catholic institution that has been in the forefront of advocacy for refugees. We decided that I should find out whether it is official that no more transfers are to be done. I wrote the following email on March 29:

Hi Yusuf,

As I tried to follow up the two ladies in our workshop who had to go to the Foreshore offices every month because they have no money to go to JHB and Durban respectively, I heard that the minister decreed that no more transfers are to be done. Does this mean that compassion is no more being shown to people who medically are also in dire straights? Is this official?

Is there really no ways of getting a change of heart in Home Affairs to show compassion and give dignity to our people.

I make haste to remind that I enjoyed some difficulties in Germany and Holland during my lengthy exile in the apartheid era, but not once from the officials of the respective Home Affairs.

Regards

This had a positive effect. People who could show proof of a medical condition, e.g. a hospital card, were served at the offices in Cape Town.

Jan Cronje, Cape Times

Hi Jan,

How are you doing, Jan?

On second thoughts I want to spare you a long story. I will demote the Barrack street events this week to a P.S., as it is not so urgent any more. Perhaps you can read that later to get some idea of how some people are treated there.

I would have preferred to share personally to give you some idea of what is happening at Home Affairs, both at Barrack Street and Customs House. as we agreed on the phone, I will try to jot down what has happened there this week. I really hope that something could be published in due course which would help the foreigners who really deserve better treatment than what they are getting from inept officials.

Before I start sharing, you should know that I don't relish bringing the mess into the open. I have been trying many times to get Yusuf Simons to do something. I really feel for the people who are suffering because of the inefficiency of the folk working in the DHA offices. But he has not been responding positively in recent weeks. I am now also writing to the minister.

Practices at the Customs House Premises

We are thankful that the long queues seem to be a thing of the past for the moment. We trust that the corruption there will have received a 'fatal' (?) blow simultaneously.

I am also grateful to report that the asylum seeker who was threatened with arrest last month, received an extension this week - without a threat this time. As usual, it was only for one month. She has a problem though to get her children into a school because of a mistake made by a Home Affairs official. She had previously been given an extension for a year - in stead of for one month. The paper was then sent to Pretoria for rectification but she did not get that paper back. In stead, she has now been repeatedly attacked verbally, although it had been the mistake of a Home Affairs official in the first place.

Another client for whom I tried to advocate because of the refusal of DHA to bring the files to Cape Town, also has problems with the schooling of children because of the piecemeal one month extensions.

Trusting that you will be able to interview these ladies - and a few others - yourself and then write something soon which will result in positive moves in the DHA offices.

Regards,

Ashley

P.S.

The Barrack Street events this week are quite straightforward but nevertheless horrifying.

I asked one of our missionary colleagues, who is married to a South African, to send me the details of her experiences with her request for temporary residence which I forwarded to Yusuf Simons last week: This is what she wrote:

I, Rochelle Smetherham, applied for permanent residency on May 3, 2012, having a valid temporary residency under volunteer and spousal. They told me this could take up to 6 months to a year and it is now way over a year. I applied for temporary residency extension October 24, 2012. My temporary residency expired December 15, 2012 and they told me that would take six weeks from the date I applied October 24. It is now about 9 months from that time with no visa at all for 7 months now. I have been married 7 years to a South African citizen and have been volunteering in South Africa for 10 years now through temporary residency spousal and volunteer permit. I travel out of the country August 9 and will return August 24th with my South African husband. In 3 weeks from today with no visa just some papers from Home Affairs with stamps which other countries immigration official do not understand the slow system of Home Affairs and having no visa; I will leave the country on shaky ground because of the delay of Home Affairs and no official stamp they will give me in my passport.

My husband has been calling home affairs for many months now several times a month and they often say it is escalated (the residency application). He wastes lots of time to do this at work cause there are no other hours. They said the permanent residency is being reviewed now in the main office but we heard nothing since. They said the system has been down 3 weeks which is weird and should not happen in this day and age. I went about 8 times to check in at Cape Town home affairs, which takes hours and Doug has to get off work which he should not do. Many times there is no word but twice they lost a copy of my passport for the temporary residency application. I don't know how this is possible. I often wait hours each time I go. You plan to go most of the day and there seems no real system now; there used to be numbers but maybe that changed since the system was "down". I have acted patiently but it is at the point of there is no reason they should withhold a temporary extension permit this long or not be fully processed as well the permanent residency. Thank you for your time in processing this, investigating and remedying the delays.

I got no reply to my email, so I resent it this week, again without a reply.

After a telephonic call to Pretoria last week Rochelle was told that her temporary residency permit has been approved but she must get it at the office where she lodged her application.

When Rochelle told me she would go to Barrack Street for the 8th time yesterday, we had great hope that she would get the paper at last. I said she should inform me if she didn't get the temporary residency permit. This she did, after which I asked her to stay there. I joined her after my own meeting and took her on arrival there straight to the office of Yusuf Simons. I had tried to phone him on his cell but there was no response. (On Tuesday I also left a message which he didn't reciprocate).

(Friday resumption of writing)

The PA of Yusuf Simons, Ms Deseree Brinkhuis, looked at the papers and checked on the system, where it stated that her temporary residency permit has already been approved in October 2012 in Pretoria. She still had a faint hope that Ms Brinkhuis could get the paper for her to be able to travel with a document. I didn't hear anything yesterday. I fear that she had to leave early this morning with the paper.

One asks why the officials in Barrack Street behave in the way they do. Possibly a bribe would do the trick, but as a committed Christian our colleague would never oblige. Thus she rather has to continue with these humiliating visits to the Barrack Street premises.

Friends from Abroad/All Nations International
Tel +27(0)738175888 (Ashley)
(0)847690048 (Rosemarie)

Ms Naledi Pandor

The Honourable Minister of Home Affairs!

Dear Ms Pandor,

May I briefly introduce myself. I lead the NPO Friends from Abroad (FFA) that has as its prime philosophy the blessing and equipping of foreigners who are here in South Africa. Our NPO was started because of my personal experience of wonderful hospitality during my exile of almost twenty years during the apartheid era. The cause was my marriage as a 'Coloured' South African to a German national. The philosophy of FFA is of course in line with the advice and repeated reminder of our revered Madiba, to treat foreigners well because some of us had been treated hospitably in other countries.

With great joy and thankfulness we took note of the DHA decision to give 6 months extension to asylum seekers. This alleviated the congestion at the Cape Town refugee office considerably, dealing a massive blow to the corruption there simultaneously.

May I assume that you are aware of at least some hardship caused to those asylum seekers whose files are in other centres? Writing on Women's Day, I think especially of those women who cannot afford to travel great distances with their children every few months, e.g. from Cape Town to Johannesburg, Durban or Musina.

May I humbly request you to rescind the earlier decision in this regard and to order the resumption of the transferral of files?

Praying for a favourable and compassionate consideration of this request,

Regards,

Ashley Cloete

Geagte Mw Francis,

Mag ek myself eers gou voorstel. Ek is 'n voormalige 'Mixed marriages exile' wat in Duitsland en Nederland baie gasvryheid en guns geniet het, nie net van die gewone mense nie, maar ook van die respektiewelike regerings daar. Dit het my aangespoor na my terugkeer met my gesin in 1992 om ook 'n sëen te wees vir mense uit ander lande wat Suid-Afrika toe gekom het. Die filosofie vanFriends from Abroad wat ons in 2007 gestig het was juis om buitelanders hier te help en om hulle toe te rus om vir hulle eie mense 'n bron van steun te wees, hier in Suid-Afrika en vir sommige wat weer na hul tuislande sou terugkeer.

Maandelang het ek namens Friends from Abroad verskillende pogings aangewend om die vlugtelinge afdeling van die Department Binnelandse Sake te versoek om die lêers van twee vroue met kinders wat elders hulle eerste registrasie as vlugtelinge gehad het, na Kaapstad te laat oorplaas. Van hulle was verwag om na Durban en Johannesburg respektiewelik te gaan vir die verlenging van hulle permitte. Anders het hulle telkens verlenging vir slegs een maand gekry. En nou is selfs dit gestaak. Hulle moet die verlenging in Durban respektiewelik Johannesburg te gaan kry.

Al ons pogings was dus sonder sukses. Inteendeel, met 'n groot mate van verontwaardiging en skaamte vir die xenofobiese gedrag en houding van die amptenare van die Departement van Binnelandse Sake, wend ek my nou tot u.

Die jongste brief van 9 Augustus - namens 'n paar ander organisasies wat ook met vlugtelinge hier in die Kaap werk, het tot dusver slegs 'n 'geniet aandag" en niks verder geoes nie. Ek plak hieronder die vorige korrespondensie om u 'n idee te gee wat ons oor die afgelope maande probeer doen het.

Ek dank u by voorbaat vir u ernstige oorweging om die saak onder die aandag van die brëere publiek te bring.

Dienswillig die Uwe,

(Eerw) ADI Cloete

Geagte Mw Francis,

In die lig van die 16-dae van aandag vir geweld teen vroue en kinders, neem ek die vrymoedigheid om die aandag te vestig op die lot van buitelandse (vlugteling-tipe) vroue wat deur ons Departement van Binnelandse Sake baie sleg behandel word. Bowendien is daar weer 'n hernude poging van die regering om die kantoor vir vlugtelinge hier in Kaapstad te sluit. (More-oggend is daar 'n vergadering hier in die kantoor van die Departement van Binnelandse Sake waar hulle 'stakeholders' van die voorneme gaan verwittig.)

Ek het die onderstaande epos verlede week na die kantoor van die Minister gestuur maar nog nie 'n antwoord ontvang nie. Ek voeg sommer ook my vorige epos by waarin u 'n vollediger prentjie van die probleem behoort te kry.

Patrioties die uwe,

Ashley D.I. Cloete

My email of October 29 refers. Below I paste my original email again regarding transfer of files.

The two mothers with children for whom I had been advocating for months have been suffering emotionally and even physically because of the worries caused by the treatment at Department of Home Affairs offices. I believe that a positive outcome of this request would help many other foreign nationals who are in the same boat.

The one family that was required to get her Section 22 extension in Johannesburg was blessed when other Burundians clubbed together to buy tickets for her and her children to go to Pretoria where she got the extension for six months. Will she find her compatriots willing to do the same in six months again?

The other family is now illegal because she has been refused an extension at your office here in Cape Town. She has to get her extension in Durban (or also in Pretoria?)

As leader of Friends from Abroad I would like to request you again to look into the matter, i.e. could you please ask the minister to intervene and order the resumption of the transfer of files for people like these who have been living here in the Cape already for many years.

Pleading for a compassionate reply to this email,

Patriotically yours,

(Rev.) Ashley D.I Cloete

Dear Mr Mathebula

Kindly see email request of the client below.

Due to unforeseen circumstances the client request for their file to be transferred from the Durban office to Cape Town office.

As per Ms my conversation with Ms Naleene Balgobind this morning she mentioned that the correct and relevant person to provide the right information will be you sir.

Your assistance is highly appreciated.

It was however no plain sailing. On Thursday 4 December I wrote the following email:

Dear Mr Mathebula,

Good morning

I just wanted to brief you on the (lack of) progress in the transfer of Ms. Nahayo (DBN 000220909) to the Cape Town office.

When she was it your office last week to get the transfer and extension, a violent situation erupted there after abuse by the DHO officials so that the police had to be called in. She became so upset by the situation that she ran away. I will come with her tomorrow, trusting that this can be finally sorted out.

Yours faithfully,

Ashley D.I. Cloete

11 December 2013

Hi Mr Mackay,

Perhaps somewhat out of the blue, Greetings - after having some second thoughts

My having 'second thoughts' regarding a submission on behalf of Friends from Abroad has very much been influenced by the passing on of our revered Madiba. Initially, I did not deem it worthwhile to send a submission on behalf of Friends from Abroad regarding the resumption of a full Cape Town service for asylum seekers, because I thought that the government had already made up its mind, and that nothing was going to change that.

I have to concede that I also had a great deal of hesitancy regarding attending the meeting last week. The fact that Mr Jackie Mckay was due to attend, helped to clinch the matter for me. I was not disappointed. I gladly repeat here my appreciation of the way you chaired the meeting last Thursday. I was really encouraged by your attitude.

You probably recall that I reminded those present in an oral submission last Thursday - as a former exile and recipient of the new dispensation that enabled me and my family to return to our beautiful country after spending almost 20 years abroad - of the teaching and heritage of Madiba. I had of course no idea that he would pass away the same evening. You may remember that I highlighted that Madiba repeated how many times that because many of us were treated well when we were in exile, we should also treat foreigners who had been coming to our shores with love and dignity.

In this spirit, I attach the submission of Friends from Abroads on second thoughts, challenging the government to do the same regarding the resumption of a full Cape Town service for asylum seekers and perhaps even at a few additional Home Affairs offices.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas and holiday time,

Yours patriotically,

Ashley D.I Cloete

On March 3 2015 I received an email from Dr Fatima Khan, the Director of the UCT Law Clinic which filled me with great joy:

Dear Colleagues/ Stakeholders

On 27 February 2015 the Western Cape High Court handed down Judgement in the Case of Abdulaahi and Others / The Director General of Home Affairs and Others Case 7705/2013. The case concerned peoples whose permits were initially issued at offices outside of Cape Town but have moved to and live in Cape Town. The court found that all the applicants 1123 people should have their permits extended in Cape Town for periods of no less than 6 months at a time. These extensions are to continue until their asylum claims are finalised or until any and all litigation in relation to the closure of the Cape Town Office is concluded. The Judge mentioned that while she would not make a ruling on the transfer of files she strongly recommends that the Department of Home Affairs reconsiders its position and transfers files.

Asylum seekers whose permits were initially from offices outside of Cape Town should accordingly be able to extend in their permits in Cape Town. While the Order relates to 1123 people there should be no reason why other individuals in the same situation should and will not be extended in Cape Town. Hence asylum seekers should approach the Home Affairs Cape Town Refugee Office from Wednesday 4 March onwards and we trust that they will receive extensions. In event of any queries please contact the UCT Refugee Rights Clinic (0216505581 / 0216505493 or email james.chapman@uct.ac.za.

Kind regards

Fatima Khan

I had no hesitation to write the following lines:

Thanks Fatima for your faithful persistent input on behalf of the asylum seekers.

Ashley

My joy was however very short-lived. On Tuesday 17 March my wife called me back as I was about to leave the premises where the refugee-background ladies are working. I had to hear that Ms. Ms. Nahayo Zabibu had been sent away from the Foreshore premises.

27 March 2015

Good Day Mr Mathebula,

May we trust that the file of my client, 024541/13, Zabibu, Nahayo (:DBN 000220909), whose file was to be transferred on medical grounds last year in November (see email below) is here in Cape Town?

My client was recently turned away at the gate by security personnel. I hereby request her to come again on Monday (30 March 2015). I give to her a copy of this email.

Thank you in advance for your co-operation,

Ashley D. I. Cloete (Director, Friends from Abroad)

22 November 2015

Good Day Mr Mathebula,

Greetings!

I am thankful that Ms. Nahayo Zabibu’s file was finally transferred from Durban. However, my client from Burundi had to come back month after month subsequently to ‘come and get the result’ of her asylum application. I take liberty to report to you what happened in recent weeks. With sadness I listened to the saga of my client via a translator.

Ms. Nahayo Zabibu’s most recent valid permit expired on 30 October. She was asked to come back on 3 November. On that day one of the DHO officials took her paper, telling her to come back the next day. On the 4^th she was told that her file could not be found. On the 5^th she was back there. With the aid of the photo copy of her permit the official came back with the file. The official that would now ‘serve’ her, however then phoned Xhosa friends and whatsapped variously instead. Ultimately he told my client to return on Monday the 9^th. The photo copy of her permit was not returned to her so that she had to go to the Cape Town Refugee Centre to get another copy.

Arriving early in the morning on the 9^th November, she had to wait in vain until the afternoon. At 16h the security guard informed all the waiting people that they had to go home because all the DHO officials had left.

On Friday 13 November my client went back, when she had to sit there till 12.30 - without speaking at all to any official. Other refugees complained about the same treatment. However, the same thing happened on the 15^th.

I will give my client a copy of this email, trusting that she will be duly served, instructing her to call me if nobody takes her paper as the previous times. Furthermore, may I request you to implement the needed steps, so that this inhumane and uncompassionate treatment of our guests from other African countries will cease.

Yours patriotically,

Ashley D.I Cloete

1 December 2015

CC Mr Yusuf Simons

Good Day Mr Mathebula,

Just a brief note to inform you that the matter with my client has still not been resolved. I had a rather torrid day on Friday, running from one meeting to the next. My client tried to reach me when my phone was on silent. I noticed her missed call only after she had already left the DHO offices for a while.

The same thing happened to her as at previous times, waiting for a long time and then finally requested to come next Thursday yet again.

I hope to accompany her this time.

Yours patriotically,

Ashley D.I. Cloete

P.S. Mr Yusuf Simons knows that I have been playing matters low-key over the years. If matters to not improve I will have no option but to divulge this correspondence to the press.

Ashley D.I. Cloete

Tel. 021 4613745/ 0738175888

2 December 2015

Good Morning Mss Simons and Methebula,

Sadly I have to report an addendum, a sequel to the saga. My client was not only not attended to, but my letter and that of the law clinic was just taken and thrown away disdainly. I do hope that she can point out which worker treated her like this and the others of previous occasions as well.

As a South African who was treated hospitably during my years in exile, I am so ashamed.

Yours patriotically,

Ashley

Hi Evariste,

Your suggestion is good to put something on paper. Here is my contribution. You and Marcel and whosoever can expand on this and others might like to contribute as well.

NEHEMIAH 2:17-18:

“ Then I said to them, You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned with fire. Come , let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and we will no longer be a disgrace. I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding”

Someone has sent the following to the Watchmen:

‘All that’s necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.’

‘When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle. (Edmund Burke 18^thCentury British Statesmen)

I suggest furthermore that a short paper be prepared – call it a memorandum if you like – to put to the President the following.

Generally, we would like to see our country become a blessing to the nations. In order to achieve this, the church has to be prophetic, holding the government accountable, challenging our leaders to get in line with God’s Word.

Concretely, someone could perhaps draw up a few guidelines where rectification is needed, about which we would like to speak to the President, urgent issues such as:

1. Blessing Israel by playing a reconciling role in the Middle East conflict and not taking sides.

2. Department of Home Affairs matters that affect the church, notably a) putting the sword of Democles over families that are to be deported to countries where their lives are endangered or where there are chaotic conditions, e.g. a Christian family from Pakistan and a family from Burundi. b) Missionaries that have to return to their home countries in spite of having a good track record.

This has been happening to families who have been in South Africa for many years

Other issues with a Church-related tangent that could also be raised are:

3. Giving high priority to the care of the poor and needy (the rumour is going around that our Finance Minister will have come with cuts on grants, pensions and the like.), greater investment in Education and Health, but also adding checks and balances to counter corruption.

4. Changing laws which are politically correct, but contradicting the Word.

5. Care for the foreigner in our midst, making better use of the skills that they have to offer.

6. Good stewardship regarding ecology, e.g. a greater emphasis on solar and wind energy and consciously moving away from all energy which ruins nature

7. Addressing the economic disparity and imbalance more vigorously, e.g. via a) ‘carrots’/ rewards for clear evidence of job creation b) encouraging measures of restitution where improper enrichment and aggrandisement have taken place (cf. the example of Zacchaeus),

Submission of Friends from Abroad

The philosophy of the NPO Friends from Abroad that we established in 2007 to help foreigners here, is to be a (re)source of support in South Africa and to equip them to serve their own people both here and later when some of them would be returning to their home countries.

In addition to our support of other organisations whose oral summaries of their submissions I have been privileged to listen to, I now give the main reason why we as Friends from Abroad hereby request government to reverse the decision to serve asylum seekers in Cape Town. In the spirit of the legacy of our revered former President Nelson Mandela to be loving and hospitable to all foreigners, our main argument is compassion for women and children especially.

Friends from Abroad has variously requested the Department of Home Affairs to transfer the files of people who had been first registered as asylum seekers elsewhere to Cape Town. In this submission we propose serious consideration of serving such clients at a few additional Home Affairs offices of the Western Cape, i.e. not only in Cape Town.

Need we have to stress that is rather uncompassionate to punish those who do not have the funds to go to an office far away? In fact, to require of poor people with barely means of subsistence to go to Durban, Johannesburg or Musina- with their children - is inhumane).

Also we note with a great deal of indignation and shame that xenophobic behaviour and attitudes of some of the officials of the Department of the Interior have still been coming to our attention , not to mention the attempts of corruption still very recently. (Thanks to Mr Jackie Mackay it was discovered that a document that was dispatched from Pretoria weeks ago, was said ‘not to have arrived here in Cape Town.)

Thank you in anticipation for your favourable consideration of this submission.

(Rev.) Ashley D. I. Cloete

(Chairperson of Friends for Abroad

South African ID 4512315408088)

When I attended a meeting organized by the Refugee Centre on Thursday 16 February 2017, there was also a representative of the Public Protector, Advocate Shaun Willemse. He noted that they investigate matters if government offices have failed to reply repeatedly. When I wanted to take up this cue to repeat my email of 30 September to my horror that I had only written the following on 30 September 2016:

Dear FFA core Colleagues,

Some of you will have taken note of the Green Paper of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Today is the closing day for submissions. Initially I had that that we could just throw in our weight with other organisations in the Western Cape Forum in opposition to quite inhumane proposed legislation. Anaclet has sent me the green paper already some three weeks ago. Containing 77 pages, I must concede that I have not taken the trouble to read through it completely. I did get the gist of it from other role players.

Instead of protesting, I thought of writing in the same vein I used to do when I fought the apartheid government.

Instead of merely writing in my personal capacity, I would like to write my email on behalf of FFA on our letter head. Please comment ASAP.

While waiting on their comment, I slipped up, never sending the actual email to the Minister of Home Affairs. On 17 February 2017 I wrote the following:

Honourable Mr. Mr Malusi Gigaba

Minister of Home Affairs,

Sir,

To my horror I had to discover that I have never sent the following email which was intended to have been sent on 30 September last year. It is a bit of a humbling experience. I sent it to you nevertheless for your consideration.

Friends from Abroad Submission on Refugee Green Paper

On behalf of the above NPO we would like to comment briefly on the Green Paper issued by your department. We would like to state categorically that this letter is to be primarily regarded as a plea for compassion and justice towards foreigners rather than as a protest against the proposed legislation.

We have been working with many refugees down the years and saw how they suffered because of measures which were often implemented very inhumanely.

On compassionate grounds we appeal to you to reconsider the main issues involved. The drafter of this letter opposed the apartheid regime when they based their policy on fear. Any policy decision based on fear e.g. of more refugees, has a bad basis.

We would like to suggest serious consideration of an amendment of the proposed legislation, viz. that all Home Affairs Offices to be provided with the necessary equipment to service foreigners. In our humble view this would not only be fairly economically to operate, but this would also be must more humane, compassionate and loving than the present practice (or what we understand is being proposed in the Green Paper.)

Trusting that you will give due consideration to this plea,

Yours Patriotically,

Ashley D.I. Cloete (Chairperson)

I followed this up with an email on 5 March 2017

Sir,

There is no need to introduce myself this time as I just continue my previous correspondence, repeating in a sense the request for the opening up of all Home Affairs offices to serve foreigners. I would like to enhance herewith the declaration of the Western Cape Network Steering Committee which I hope you have already taken notice of. For the sake of convenience I attach it nevertheless.

It gives me great pleasure to applaud you on the fairly balanced stance of both you and the State President after the violence perpetrated against certain foreigners in Atteridgeville last week. However, we cannot do the same regarding the glib unqualified statement of the State President that has been reported, viz. virtual acceptance of claims that foreigners were allegedly responsible for most crimes.

The ongoing simmering situation in Gauteng has the potential to spread. May we plead for clearer government statements which would could diminish the tensions? Unsubstantiated assumptions like the above one only perpetuate the stereotypes that fan the simmering coals.

I take the liberty to suggest that the government should set positive examples which make it clear that we value the contributions of foreigners, also from those of refugee background. A proactive attitude is needed to demonstrate also to the poor communities that we have not forgotten the contribution of our siblings from other African countries to the democracy we may enjoy now. One such measure would be the opening up of all Home Affairs offices to serve asylum seekers and the like.

I pray that this plea may find a good hearing.

Patriotically yours, on behalf of Friends from Abroad

Rev Ashley D.I. Cloete

May I now take the opportunity to put a question to you. Because my bag had been stolen recently

in which I also had my ID smart card, I tried to get a new one. I had to go through a very time-consuming process because I am married to a German, only to finally hear that nationalised persons are not entitled to an ID smart card. (During the apartheid era I had to hand in my South African passport when I applied for a Dutch one in order to engage in missionary work in another African country.) After my return to this country - which I dearly love and to which I was so happy to return to in 1992, I got my citizenship back and last year also a smart card ID. (By the way, I was involved in quite a few skirmishes to enable me to return to the beloved country. Much of this is documented in the unpublished manuscript Honger na Geregtigheid which I have posted on the Internet),

I appreciate that a case like mine is not very common. Yet, it seems to me that your department has decided fairly recently that nationalised persons should not be entitled to a smart card. I would like to know the reasoning behind it.

I have now complied to the request of your officials to apply for the re-issue of a green ID book, but am still wondering why nationalised persons seem to get ‘punished’ for handing in their passports in the past, in my case very much under duress. (After having lost so much because of apartheid in the 1960s, it was very difficult for me to apply for a Dutch passport in 1988.)

Looking forward to your reply,

Ashley D.I. Cloete

Zuma must Fall Controversy

In the beginning of 2016 the Fees must Fall campaign became a call for he State President to step down. Pastor Barry Isaacs called a few Cape church leaders to his home to deliberate on a possible reaction by the Church. A meeting with pastors in Mitchells Plain was convened to which actually over a 100 of them came. in which we wanted to invite them to a Together with

I got involved with the drafting of a document to coinside with a march: In the course of this drafting I wrote the following to he colleagues:

… I still miss a pertinently biblical position. The draft basically is still too much a call to step down, without calling the President clearly to repent and apologise publicly, taking responsibility for his actions and indicate willingness to practice restitution. Even though it is unlikely that he will do this in the light of his track record, we should give him that option to be pastorally sound. (We might even add a warning prophetically that he would have to reckon with God’s wrath if he fails to respond in the biblically required way.)

I also noted in this email that some lines from the suggestions in the second draft of Pastors Costa Mitchell and Barry Isaac were clearly pastoral and I would like to see them included:

The leaders who make up our group come from a broad spectrum of South African society, in all its gender, cultural, ethnic and party-political diversity. We therefore have neither political nor racial motivations in what we would like to say to you, but a genuine desire to provide empathetic pastoral counsel to you and those who make up your inner circle in government at this critical time. We understand that you have been ordained as a pastor in a denomination and in the light of that, feel that we may be so bold as to address you as we would a fellow pastor who has, as The New Testament says: "been overtaken in a fault". Paul instructs, in situations like this, that "you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently." …

Restoration is therefore the Biblical goal in situations like this, and that is our desire. However, restoration, especially when the person concerned is a leader, is not simply achieved by a "forgive and forget" approach, but by a process involving fully facing the fault, proper repentance, counselling, character correction and restitution. We would like, in the spirit of humility and God's love for you as a person, to try to help you in that process, if you would allow us to do so…

We find ourselves unable to agree with the way you and your inner circle plan to go forward. We believe South Africa is not only facing a constitutional crisis, but a leadership crisis. To deal half-heartedly with a serious problem of this nature is irresponsible in the extreme, and is at the heart of why the majority of our people, civil society and the Church in particular, has lost confidence in your leadership, not to say your character. If a leader, pastor or any other office-bearer in one of our churches had revealed a similar character flaw, we would advise that she or he should step down at least until a process of restoration, as described above, could be completed…

The full final document can be read as an appendix. To the email above I added the following P.S.

To address the linking of our government to sangomas and to Hamas is an issue which would perhaps not be a tenet that would get wide acclaim and support at this time. Yet these are actions which have been damaging our country in the spiritual realm big time. The fact of the matter is that the student protests soon after the meeting with Hamas leaders ushered in the slide of our economy. The delegation that goes to see the president – if he grants an audience – should address this. The group can dangle the carrot before the government that repentance on this score would incur divine blessing in line with Genesis 12:3.

The president did not grant an audience to the Church delegation. Neither did he step down voluntarily. Not even a bad showing of his party on 3 August 2016 seemed to influence him or the ANC to do anything towards that end. Another politically motivated attempt to discredit Mr Pravin Gordhan, the Finance Minister, threatened to be an albatross around his neck.

FeesmustFall linked to Israel

On 21 October 2016 I wrote the following in our Isaac Ishmael Update:

Dear Siblings,
We do hope this ‘update with a difference’ finds you well.

The good news … has been overshadowed by the turmoil on tertiary institutions throughout the country.

Why this history lesson? The common thread of the above is that God came through for our nation when we humbled ourselves corporately and prayed… (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Now I take liberty to remind you that the crisis into which the #Feesmustfall campaign has thrust our nation started a few days after Hamas political chief Khaled Mashaal addressed a government-endorsed rally in Cape Town on Wednesday 21 October 2015. I wonder whether the red-carpet treatment given to the Hamas leaders last year by our government did not actually ushered in the turmoil on campuses around the world! Could it be that the arch enemy is attempting to foil the revival various prophecies that God has given from the southern point of Africa? I believe that God wants to bless the nations of the world from the Cape – definitely not to radiate destruction and depression.

In the light of the ‘history lesson’ above, I have liberty to remind all of us that the Bible teaches that satan (spelt with a lower case s on purpose), has always been a liar and a deceiver. I dare to expect that God has great things in store for us as a nation. I praise Him for the wave of prayer that has been sweeping the nation in recent weeks.

Something happened last week which could have a similar effect. In a 24-6 vote,** the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) gave its preliminary approval to a resolution that ignores Jewish ties to its most holy religious sites: the Temple Mount and the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Since then Brasilian Christians got their government to retract their vote of approval on the resolution saying that the Temple Mount in Jerusalem had no connection to Judaism.

I was wondering if we as South Africans could not emulate the Brasilians. This would surely be in our best interest!

Blessings and Shalom,

Ashrose

One of our dear Afrikaner friends, Stephan van Niekerk, responded as follows:

Stephan Van Niekerk

Oct 25

Hi Ashley.

The more I pray and think about this the more I realize that it is actually a 'cause celebre' if I may use those words, which can be employed to mobilize all those Christians who have a particular view point towards the validity of Scripture and the veracity of the Word....providing that this category is largely in the majority (which it still presently is I assume) it can truly become a catalyst to rally the Church in its broadest context and could come to act as a unifying element which will allow those who are of similar opinion to form a "united front" which will then also act as a factor in the establishment of a platform for Christian expression and action.....as such one would have to mobilize the leadership of each of the various denominations (especially of the black churches, in my opinion).

I am not sure if Barry has adequate "clout" in the higher echelons of church authority which will allow him to draw the support of all the mainline churches (particularly since he is not from one of the traditional churches) and would suggest that a more neutral person (such as yourself) rather introduce the initiative to all the other "big guns"...I am not acquainted with the in's & out's of church politics but would think that one would have to go cautiously about drumming up the endorsement of as many of the traditional denominations as possible.

Remember: politicians take note of the opinions of the voters and the more people in the electorate voice their concern about a particular issue, the more the politicians take notice! This matter is one of ideology and world political affairs from a strategic point of view and is not based on principles of ethics and true human rights, and as such must be treated in that light. It is the responsibility of the Watchmen on the Walls to publicize the significance of the concern involved and to proclaim the need for proper action to be taken by the Church itself (in order that it shall not be caught lapping and suddenly wake up one day when confronted with the "enemy being within the house' !

God bless,

Stephan.

After emailing and skyping with Stephan van Niekerk, which became an important nudge towards the idea of a petition, I used his input to draft a resolution, which ignited some further correspondence. On 7 October he replied as follows:

Hi good people of the Book (as the Koran apparently refers to Jews and Christians),

The wording of the petition has been slightly adapted in order to accommodate Murray's valid point (see below) re the the so called fact that the resolution is made subject to the intent of not affecting any existing resolutions of the UN + Security Council, ie the parent body of UNESCO which is decidedly anti - Israel as far its bias concerning the majority of its resolutions concerning the State of Israel are concerned and which, to the contrary, has a very favourable view of the Palestinian "case". We must not forget that in this matter we are dealing with the secular thinking and decidedly humanistic philosophy of UNESCO which is the Educational, and SCIENTIFIC agency of the world body in all spheres of its undertaking pertaining to those fields of human endeavour....as such it significantly influences and eventually strongly affects the ultimate decision making of it's parent body, which decisions, since it is supported by a majority of the members represented in the council of that agency, in the sense that it "prepares the way" by promoting the legitimacy of the 'nature' of the intellectual gist thereof, will in turn motivate and give credence to the relevant own decisions of the general assembly and then, since it has now become imbedded as a policy directive, also the manner of its implementation.

As such this resolution and many others (which will follow in its wake) will slowly but surely lead to the "erosion" in the minds of people generally of the "irrefutable values of the Kingdom Gospel" and will lead to the 're-engineering' of that which is called "white" to be called "black" (and vice versa) as far as the 'official" world view of religious order is concerned, in preparation for the final onslaught on (and ultimate eradication of ) the Christian faith by the 'forces of darkness' which have been, throughout the ages, usurping "power" at all levels but now globally so.

The point of this UNESCO resolution is to "prepare the way" regarding a two fold purpose : (1) the establishment of a two state entity and (2) the establishment of Jerusalem initially as a city divided in two, which allows the Israeli's and the Palestinians to each rule one part of the city as its capital, and ultimately since such an approach is not practically viable (and probably not feasible), and then (ultimately) as a consolidated international (religious) capital/city state which will be set up in an attempt to unify the religious traditions of east and west, north and south !

At best this attempt of the UNESCO Council to be absurdly "politically correct"is a piece of machiavellian footwork of astoundingly perverse propaganda, another stone in the road to NWO utopia which is based on lies and deception plus outright exploitation of the ignorance of the mass of people globally and manipulation of uninformed opinions concerning the proper status quo. The less one says about it the better since in the end the TRUTH WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL!

From : Murray Bridgman.

Hi All

I am aware that Jerusalem and Israel are complicated, and I do not have the capacity to get up to speed to draft a resolution. However, I note that the preamble to the resolution reads:

3. Affirming the importance of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls for the three monotheistic religions, also affirming that nothing in the current decision, which aims, inter alia, at the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of Palestine and the distinctive character of East Jerusalem, shall in any way affect the relevant Security Council and United Nations resolutions and decisions on the legal status of Palestine and Jerusalem,

In the light of this can we say that the resolution denies the Jewish historic connection with Jerusalem or the Wailing Wall?

I do not like the resolution as it focusses on all Israel’s shortcomings, and none of the Palestinian shortcomings, but we do need to be accurate.

Date??

Thank you for your input Ashley. It summarizes the situation perfectly and adequately conveys the message which the petition should get across.( perhaps one can bring down the percentage figure to 70 % and increase the population figure to "over 50 million" since we don't really know what the correct figure is for the current population on a national basis)..

As to the logistics of getting the petition "out there" to Christians nationally, it would probably be most appropriate to follow an "Arab spring" approach by utilizing the social media platforms available to us, including What's App, Twitter, FaceBook et al. To my way of thinking this petition should be distributed as widely as possible, not only to establish a grass roots "voice of protest" emanating from believers on all levels of religious society (not only leaders), especially those who endorse the Judeo- Christian foundation of our faith, particularly those who support the "cause" of Israel as we understand it in Biblical terms, but also to bring an awareness to Christians of the implications of the Government's endorsement of the UNESCO resolution., including its very anti-christian intent and the significance thereof in spiritual terms as far as its anti-semetic purpose is concerned. i.e. it will bring "curses" and not "blessings"upon our nation..

Therefor it is imperative, in my view, that the petition should also be combined with a notification regarding a nation wide prayer initiative concerning the removal of the Government's approval of the UNESCO resolution PLUS an invitation to the individual Christian to participate in this prayer action, giving details of where and how the person may connect with this prayer 'movement' ( I foresee that it can lay the ground work for other prayer and/or petition initiatives involving different matters of national importance, with regard to which the Christian community as a group representing the Church in a corporate fashion can express its views to society at large, including the public and private sectors).

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further assistance (eg with regard to the setting up of the internet ïnfrastructure concerning the 'mechanics' of the petition drive to the nation).

God bless you all,

Stephan

After two other skype session and more telephonic interaction with Stephan, the following was decided upon:

We the undersigned, citizens of the Republic of South Africa herewith express our regret and disapproval of the voting on our behalf by our government in support of a recent UNESCO resolution which severely mitigates the Jewish historical connection to the Western Wall of the Temple and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in favour of a Muslim Arab one.

We contend that any support of the UNESCO resolution, which claims that certain Jewish historical places in Jerusalem have no connection to Jewish people, especially to the Jewish people in Israel, is contrary to the democratic will of the MAJORITY of people in South Africa. If one removes the Jews from the pages of the history of Israel/Canaan, then one is also removing Jesus, who was a Jew, from the pages of the history of the Church, which is based on the writings of the Bible. As such it renders the Christian faith to be baseless. The resolution is thus also refuting our Judeo-Hebrew heritage. It then establishes a foundation for the continued skewing of the tenants and traditions of both Judaism and Christianity which could severely undermine the veracity of both these religions and therefore significantly affect their very basic validity....allowing greater if not the total rejection eventually in the future of its fundamental principles and dogmas in the United nations world forum.

In the light of the above, we respectfully request the SA Government to reconsider its support for the UNESCO resolution and that it will ultimately withdraw its endorsement thereof as a matter of urgency. We contend that this is wholly undemocratic in nature in view of more than 70 percent of South Africa's total population of 50 million people claiming to be Christian.

In closing, considering that our democracy came into being as a result of a process of reconciliation, we want to encourage the government to attempt restoring the mediating role in the Middle East conflict that our country once had and so fulfill our destiny accorded to us with regard to the league of nations.

Dear Stephan, Richard, Murray, Maditshaba, Hilary, Barry and Achmed

… I am sending to you the draft now of an email that I would like to get out as soon as we have finalized the two petitions.

Regarding the state of the process: Hilary is looking at the texts of the UN(ESCO) resolutions to see how we could maximize the buy-in and Barry will try and get the brother who prepared the Dove’s Peak Petition, to prepare the other one as well. Here follows what I thought could be the preliminary version of the accompanying text to the pro-Israel/ pro reconciliation petition.

We the undersigned, citizens of the Republic of South Africa herewith express our regret and disapproval of the voting of our government representative on our behalf in favour of resolutions concerning the matter of ISRAEL and the PALESTINIANS at the United Nations (UN) and at UNESCO in recent weeks which display a partisan role in the Middle East conflict. We the undersigned, citizens of the Republic of South Africa herewith express our regret and disapproval of the voting of our government representative on our behalf in favour of resolutions at the United Nations (UN) and at UNESCO in recent weeks which display a partisan role in the Middle East conflict. Through the recent voting pattern of our government representative, our country actually deviated from the conciliatory position that Ambassador Jerry Matjila displayed in his speech at the UN in July 2016, in which he inter alia stated that ‘the UN Security Council must also play its part in dissuading unilateral measures’. This is the kind of role we would like to see our country play in international forums.

Considering that the present democratic reality in our country came into being through reconciliation among opposing parties via negotiation and mutual acceptance of one another, we expect our government to play a more positive role in voting patterns at the UN in all matters, to display clear opposition to resolutions which are clearly biased and divisive..

We contend that any support of resolutions at the UN which display any one-sided favouritism and bias in the matter of Israel and the Palestinians is in conflict with the will of the majority of people in South Africa. We believe that even biased abstention in similar situations would be a travesty of justice, given our own history.

In the light of the above, we respectfully request the SA Government to resolutely reconsider its support for the contentious one-sided pro-Palestinian resolutions and that it will withdraw its endorsement thereof as a matter of urgency. We contend that the support - covert or overt - in international forums for such biased positions is wholly unacceptable and undemocratic in nature. We want to see our government intervene emphatically and strongly with measures which would foster and promote human dignity and reconciliation in the Middle East conflict.

Dear Folk around the world along with the Isaac Ishmael update recipients,

Rosemarie and I have decided to deviate from our original intention - not to write another email to you this year - in the light of recent developments in this part of the world.

For a number of years some of us have been talking and praying about the need for a name change of the mountain peak just above our home. Along with a few sibling believers, a process was started a few years ago with the national heritage council to have it changed to Dove’s Peak. The fact that Table Mountain was declared one of the seven natural wonders of the world a few years ago made the procurement of an amount necessary which we perceived as astronomical. We did not want to rush matters, continuing to make it a matter for prayer.

Pastor Barry Isaacs, with whom we have had close ties for many years in this matter, has been heading up Transformation Africa. He prayerfully thought of sending out a petition now. The rest of us in the committee agreed to support the move.

Many - if not all of you as recipients of this email - are aware of the corruption that has been plaguing our country for a number of years. We note furthermore how our state president and the government have been making an idol out of the ruling party - stating this in a speech as recently as last week on Reconciliation Day. We feel that the demonic links in this regard, along with many attempts to exalt ancestor worship, need to be opposed. We contend that the name change to Dove’s Peak would signify clear opposition to corrupt governance and related matters. (The name, Dove's Peak is furthermore one of the mountain peak's original names. One detects easily how Duivenkop could become Duivelskop in an oral corruption.)

The dove is, of course, universally accepted as a symbol of peace; while, for most people irrespective of religion or culture, the devil is a symbol and personification of everything that is evil. The group is of the view that changing the name of Devil's Peak to Dove's Peak is a significant way of proclaiming peace over Southern Africa and the African continent, ushering in its transformation and restoration.

For those of you not in the know of the historical background of the myth around Van Hunks, said to have been a colonial official at the time of governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel at the beginning of the 18^th century, please note the following: The name Devil’s Peak has been linked to corrupt government practices when Willem Adriaan van der Stel was the governor. Through the launching of this petition at this time we give notice of our longing for clean governance. (Below we give some more historical information.)

Parallel to this, there is also sadness among many of us that our government’s biased voting in resolutions at the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and the UN (United Nations) in recent weeks and months have seriously impeded a positive role which we as a nation could have played in negotiations in the Middle East. Considering that our government leaders have openly sided with extremist groups like Hamas, we are very much aware that we have not blessed Israel in this way (compare Genesis 12:3). Many of us are not surprised at all that an extended draught has been plaguing many parts of our country. Coming from our recent celebration of Reconciliation Day, we deem it appropriate to disseminate another petition. In this way we want to encourage our government to express regret and the wish to return to the moral high ground that we had earned through forgiveness and negotiation in the 1990s after the years of racial conflict. We herewith would also like to simultaneously oppose the racial negative overtones that have been circulating in our country in recent months in the wake of various hash tag campaigns (#...MustFall).

Here are the links to the respective petitions:

…..

Blessings and peace for the rest of the festive season, into 2017,

Yours in His grip,

Ashrose

P.S. 1. Here follows a brief summary of the reign of W.A. van der Stel as an early Cape governor, gleaned from Wikipaedia:

Van der Stel’s legacy is however stained by his apparent greed and extravagance. During his rule, van der Stel was viewed as corrupt and dictatorial.

Revolt and dismissal

Van der Stel owned a private estate, Vergelegen, which is the origin of the present day Somerset West and its wine route. The land was granted to him in 1700, and he spent much of the VOC resources on its development. This allowed him an unfair advantage and led to strained relationships with the local “free burghers” (independent farmers).

His unilateral actions, determining who could participate in the monopoly of wine and meat, triggered a revolt amongst the farmers, and in 1706 Adam Tas, Willem van Zijl and Henning Husing drew up a petition objecting to Van der Stel's activities. Some 63 (out of 550) burghers signed the document and it was sent to the VOC headquarters in Amsterdam.

The petition was at first rejected. Van der Stel had Tas arrested, tried and imprisoned - in the "Black Hole", an infamous dungeon at the Castle of Good Hope.

Because 31 of the signatories were Huguenots, and since the Netherlands was at war with France, the failed petition continued to cause concern in Amsterdam. Fearing that the discontent might cause some burghers to become spies for the French, the VOC dismissed van der Stel, and ordered his return to the Netherlands (April 23, 1707). He left the colony in 1708 and returned to the Netherlands where he spent the rest of his life in exile…

Most sources agree that his rule at the Cape was authoritarian, beset by favoritism, and characterized by misuse of company assets …

Honourable President Zuma,

May I start off by wishing you a blessed and very good 2017.

For some weeks I had been contemplating writing to you.

The nudge towards the end of last year was your speech in Zeerust on Reconciliation Day (16 December). There was much in it which I could applaud.

However, as someone for whom the issue of racial reconciliation has been very important for many years – and fighting apartheid especially because of this – I have been following with interest what your government is doing in this regard.

With a touch of sadness I took note of your speech in Zeerust on Reconciliation Day. In the light of my own suffering under apartheid legislation and practices, and knowing your background as a Zulu, I can very well comprehend the underlying sentiment to the historical background. Our generation (I was born in 1945) recalls easily that the holiday was renamed Reconciliation Day to get away from the racial overtones of the previous era with names like Dingaan’s Day and Geloftedag (the remembrance of the Vow of the Voortrekkers made on 16 December 1838). The intention of the new name was obviously to foster reconciliation and forgiveness rather than harp on the hostilities linked to the 19th century events.

In the light of the above, your reported references to the historical events and remarks in Zeerust, I consider very inappropriate.

The trigger for sending you this email is some remarks of your speech on Sunday past at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto that have been apportioned to you and some views that you expressed on behalf of the government. To discourage South Africans to visit Israel who do not go there to foster peace is surely better than what Deputy Minister Ebrahim said in August 2012. (I dare to suggest that the Marikana tragedy a few days later, could have been divine response to that speech - God’s wrath.) I take for granted that you are aware of the blessings or curses that a nation incur in respect of its attitude and actions towards Israel (Genesis 12:3), at least to some extent.

On biblical grounds I take liberty to suggest that you and your government are at this moment traversing a very slippery road that will cause great damage to our country economically and great misery if there is not a drastic change of direction.

I am convinced that I speak for the vast majority of concerned citizens of the Republic of South Africa if I express disapproval of the voting of our government representative on our behalf in resolutions at the United Nations (UN) and at UNESCO in recent weeks and months. In the same vein, I disapprove of the support for resolution 2334 of 23 December 2016, which is so clearly biased. Any support for a unilateral move by one of the conflicting parties is obviously not condusive to a peaceful solution in the Middle East. These moves display a partisan role in the Middle East conflict, moving away from the moral high ground on which were moving in the legacy of President Nelson Mandela. Through the recent voting pattern of our government representative, our country actually deviated from the conciliatory position that Ambassador Jerry Matjila still displayed in his speech at the UN in July 2016, in which he inter alia stated that ‘the UN Security Council must also play its part in dissuading unilateral measures’. I believe that the bulk of South Africans, who understand something of conflict resolution - not necessarily only Christians - would like to see our country continue playing this kind of role in international forums.

In closing, I would like to verbalise my conviction that you could still play a positive role in the needed change of direction to bring government policy in line with moral and biblical directives. Great politicians have made mistakes. Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, Jan Smuts, Winston Churhhill and also Nelson Mandela have made mistakes which could have marred their legacy. One of the hall marks of a great leader is that he acknowldeges his mistakes and rectifies them where possible.

On the other hand, need I warn you that God dealt with some of your predecessors, notably John Vorster and P.W. Botha, which did not do the above. Now one finds them on the scrapheap of bad history. What are you going to choose?

May God help you to make such a decision which would etch your name among those who have changed the course of our country that is heading for the precipice. We would like to see our nation to be a blessing to the rest of the world again. I leave this challenge with you.

Yours patriotically,

Rev. Ashley D.I. Cloete

Appendix: Letter of Cape Church Leaders to the State President

Dear Mr President, the Hon. Jacob Zuma,

We, the undersigned, are servants of Christ, pastors of churches and in most cases, leaders who form an umbrella body of 43 movements and denominations in the Western Cape, namely the Consultation of Christian Churches. The leaders who make up our group come from a broad spectrum of South African society, in all its gender, cultural, ethnic and party-political diversity.

We have neither political nor racial motivations in what we would like to say, but a genuine desire to provide empathetic pastoral counsel both to yourself as well as those who make up your leadership circle in government, at this critical time. Because you too have been ordained as a Pastor in a denomination, we count it our privilege as brothers in the Lord to address you in a manner befitting not only our president, but also a fellow pastor who has, as the Bible says: "been overtaken in a fault". Paul instructs, in situations like this, that "you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently." Our desire is therefore to put forth the Biblical goal of restoration in situations like this.

However, restoration, especially when the person concerned is a leader, is not simply achieved by a "forgive-&-forget" approach. Instead, it is achieved through a process involving fully facing the fault, proper repentance, counselling, character correction and restitution. We would like therefore, in the spirit of humility and God's love for you as a person, to come alongside you in that process. We are aware through recent events and public discourse, the Christian Churches have engaged with others in civil society and aligned themselves, and by association, ourselves, with calls for your resignation.

While we realise that some of the words chosen and conclusions reached have been judgmental and hurtful, we appeal for you to hear us without prejudice, as we desire to add Godly Wisdom to our prayers in the fulfilment of God's mandate to us. This mandate is to pray for those who lead us; to be spiritual guardians of the well-being of Christians and the common good of all people in our country. Our responsibility toward government is to pray for and speak the truth to its members according to God's Word. We humbly acknowledge in due recognition that both we and you are in positions of trust, that we are all dependent on God who raises up leaders and sets them aside; and to whom we all have to give an account for how we have led. In that spirit, we would like to state the following:

1. Mr. President, you have been found by the highest court in the land to be in breach of your responsibility to uphold and apply the constitution of South Africa in the conduct of your life and leadership;

2. Your "apology" to the nation was seemingly unremorseful; avoided responsibility for the above-mentioned breaches; and did not go beyond a very superficial acknowledgment of "lessons learned". A leader is required to show greater self-awareness and humility;

3. In November 2015, reports of your having denied responsibility for the excesses of Nkandla, and having vowed that you "would not pay back the money", surfaced. This is in contrast to your recent statement that you have always intended to pay back the money. These apparent serious contradictions, if true, would have a major impact on public trust, and we understand why so many of the public are outraged. A leader needs to be worthy of trust and respect;

4. One of the worst outcomes of the breaches of due process in this matter has been the public denigration of the character and the office of the Public Protector. She has deserved a public apology. It is alarming that such an apology has to date not been offered. A leader needs to be more gracious than this when proved wrong, especially to a person whom he has appointed, and one who has shown such integrity throughout this episode;

5. As mentioned above, the intimidatory tactics exhibited by your closest allies in government, including the public criticism towards Chief Justice Mogoeng; and the even more vitriolic criticism of the Churches' right to speak to this issue, reveal a singular lack of understanding and regard for both, as well as for the citizens of our country whose desire is for ethical leadership. The role of those same persons, and others, who spoke in your "defence" in the parliamentary debate on the call for your impeachment, displayed the same lack of understanding of the manner in which a constitutional democracy ought to function.

In summary, we find ourselves unable to agree with the way you and your inner circle plan to proceed. We believe South Africa is not only facing a constitutional crisis, but also a moral and leadership crisis. To deal half-heartedly with a serious problem of this nature is irresponsible in the extreme, and is at the heart of why the majority of our people, civil society and the Church in particular, has lost confidence in your leadership, not to say your character. If a leader, pastor or any other office-bearer in one of our churches had revealed a similar character flaw, we would advise that he or she step down, at least until a process of restoration, as described above, could be completed.

We must therefore align ourselves with what other church bodies, civic organizations and leaders from every party-political background are requesting, namely that you do the honourable thing, and step down from the Presidency. Going forward, we would encourage you to seek counsel and proper rehabilitation in the ways of ethical leadership of a nation. Mr President, we stand ready to offer you that care and counsel, with the understanding that it will be in the context of your doing what we believe is the right thing at this moment in our Nation's history.

Rev. Barry Isaacs

(General Secretary)

For the Executive of the CONSULTATION OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES

[1] In 2001, the MRA movement changed its name yet again, to Initiatives of Change (IofC).

[2] In recent years the building complex was renovated and changed to house the City’s Library.

[3] A fuller report of the visit to South Africa can be found in Involuntary Exile, accessible at www. isaacandishmael.blogspot.com).

[4]The other two manuscripts, Sonder my kan julle niks doen nie and As God die Huis nie bou nie did not get much further than the collating and commenting stage of documents.

[5] Translation: Love drive out fear

[6] Rev. Clive Mc Bride was one of the friends of the Moravian Seminary and one of the most vocal proponents of Black Theology at the Cape in the early 1970s. When he realised that his love for Whites was lacking, he changed completely. To have Kathi Schulze, a 'White' American, as an elder in his church, was visible evidence of his change of heart.

[7] In the mid-1980s a motor car tyre was put around the neck of any person suspected of conniving with the government, petrol would be poured over such a person and set alight. It was a sort of people’s court where the suspect had little or no opportunity to defend himself.

[8] Blacks were only allowed to be in the ‘White’ cities and towns under restricted conditions if allowed at all

[9] One and a half year old Rafael apparently had no problems, clicking away at the sounds of the unrelated Xhosa when he joined Rosemarie every day.

[10] I do not want to minimize the political efforts, e.g. by the moves behind the scenes sponsored by the Swiss government or by Dr van Zyl Slabbert’s IDASA, but I maintain that it was ultimately the concerted prayer that made the difference.

[11] Tik or methaphetamine, part of the amphetamine group of drugs, is very potent and easy to make. It’s still legally produced in the United States in the guise of medication prescribed for weight loss, as a nasal inhalant and even for narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders.

[12] Because of the prayer meeting in the Civic Centre and Provincial Parliament on other Saturday mornings, we moved our own one to the 4^th Saturday morning of the month.

[13] This was later changed to a monthly event.

Isaac and Ishmael

Sunday, April 16, 2017

HONGER NA GEREGTIGHEID April 2017 (Part 2)

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Stephan Van Niekerk

Revolt and dismissal

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