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South Africa’s constitutional democracy has once again affirmed a foundational principle: freedom of religion remains protected under the Constitution . In a recent media statement issued by the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Parliament reaffirmed its commitment to protecting religious freedom. This statement followed a parliamentary discussion held on 12 February 2026 , as well as an earlier march to Parliament led by the South

The Ten Commanded Insults by the CRL Rights Commission Chairperson Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva The South African Church Defenders (SACD) is compelled to speak once more on what we regard as an escalating pattern of public rhetoric directed at Christian churches and pastoral leadership in South Africa. Over a sustained period, remarks made in national broadcasts and official forums by the Chairperson of the CRL Rights Commission have, in our view, gone far beyond discussions about

How Far Is She Willing to Go to Regulate the Church? South African Church Defenders is deeply concerned  by a series of public remarks made by the CRL Rights Commission Chairperson, Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, which many pastors and church leaders experience as hostile, intimidating, and dismissive toward the religious sector. From SACD’s perspective, these statements do not merely propose regulation — they portray churches as dangerous, pastors as untrustworthy, and religious be

As Revealed by Prof. Musa Xulu in His Resignation from the Section 22 Committee The resignation of Prof. Musa Xulu , former Chair of the CRL Section 22 Committee, exposes a series of grave allegations  against the Chairperson of the CRL Rights Commission, Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva . These allegations raise profound constitutional, ethical, and governance concerns about the conduct of a Chapter 9 institution. What follows is a factual summary of the most serious accusations , as