CRL’s China Connection: Is a Communist Approach to Religion Creeping into South Africa?
- SACD MEDIA
- Oct 6, 2025
- 3 min read
By the South African Church Defenders (SACD)
A Quiet Parliamentary Moment with Loud Implications
In 2018, South Africa’s Parliament quietly held a meeting that, in hindsight, may have set the stage for one of the most controversial religious debates in our nation’s history.
The Parliamentary Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) met to consider the CRL Rights Commission’s report on the “Regulation of Religion and Abuse of People’s Beliefs.”
What appeared to be a routine review of a commission’s recommendations revealed something far more alarming: a growing appetite for government control over religion, with clear inspiration from communist-style systems — particularly China.
🇨🇳 The China Study Tour That Raised Eyebrows
During that February 2018 meeting, the Committee Chairperson, Mr. R Mdakane (ANC), made a telling remark. He referenced a study tour to China, saying that “good lessons were learnt” and that these lessons should be reflected in their final report.
To most, this might sound harmless — until you understand what “regulation of religion” looks like in China.
In the People’s Republic of China, the state dictates how religion operates. Churches must register under government “patriotic associations.” Pastors must be approved by the Communist Party. Sermons are monitored, religious symbols are censored, and unregistered churches — known as “house churches” — are raided or shut down.
For a South African parliamentary committee to describe China’s religious policy as a “lesson” raises a chilling question: Was Parliament considering a Chinese-style model for managing religion in South Africa?
The CRL’s Push for State Oversight of Faith
The CRL Commission’s report at the time had already proposed establishing mechanisms to license religious leaders and regulate churches — supposedly to protect citizens from “abuse” and “commercialisation.”
But this proposal struck at the very heart of South Africa’s constitutional democracy, which guarantees freedom of religion under Section 15 of the Constitution.
As Parliament discussed the CRL’s recommendations, members themselves acknowledged the deep divisions it created.
Some MPs warned that legislating religion could be unconstitutional.
Others cautioned that the state has no business defining or controlling faith.
Experts, including Professor Meyer, reminded the Committee that countries like China and the Soviet Union had tried — and failed — to regulate religion.
Still, the Committee approved the report with amendments, keeping alive the idea of government involvement in the internal affairs of churches.
Why This Matters Today
Fast-forward to 2025, and the echoes of that meeting still haunt the Church. The same narratives of “regulation,” “accountability,” and “religious oversight” continue to surface in government rhetoric.
But beneath the language of “protection” lies a dangerous principle — that the state should have the power to define legitimate faith. Once that door is opened, the Church is no longer free; it becomes a department of government.
History shows that every communist or socialist regime that began with “regulation” ended with repression.From China to Cuba, from the Soviet Union to North Korea — the pattern is the same:
Control starts with registration.It grows through monitoring.It ends with persecution.
The Church Must Wake Up
South Africa’s churches cannot afford to be silent or divided on this issue. The CRL’s China-inspired model represents a direct challenge to the sovereignty of the Church of Jesus Christ.
If government oversight becomes the norm:
Who will approve your pastor’s calling?
Who will decide which messages are acceptable?
Who will define what is “abuse of belief”?
These are not hypothetical questions — they are warnings drawn from global experience.
The Church must therefore rise as one:
To defend the constitutional right to freedom of religion.
To reject all forms of state control over the pulpit.
To insist that the Church governs itself under Christ, not under Parliament.
The Path Forward
The South African Church Defenders (SACD) calls for:
Public awareness campaigns to expose and explain the CRL’s proposals and their global implications.
National unity among pastors, denominations, and faith organizations to safeguard religious autonomy.
Engagement with lawmakers and legal experts to ensure constitutional protections remain intact.
Prayer and spiritual mobilization, understanding that this battle is not just political, but deeply spiritual.
⚠️ A Word of Caution
When the Church becomes silent, the state grows bold.When faith becomes licensed, truth becomes censored.When freedom of religion is compromised, every other freedom soon follows.
We must never forget: South Africa is not China.We are a constitutional democracy built on the blood of martyrs who fought for freedom — and that includes the freedom to worship God without government interference.
Reference: Meeting Summary (from Parliament on the issue of china)
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