The Insults, the Blasphemy and the Mockery

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 regulation and accountability. SACD believes these statements have increasingly taken on the character of ridicule—aimed not merely at isolated wrongdoing, but at Christian belief itself.

This article sets out what SACD regards as ten recurring and deeply offensive characterisations of churches, pastors, and believers—what many in the faith community have come to call “the ten commanded insults.” We explain why these remarks have alarmed congregations across the country, why trust is breaking down between churches and the CRL Rights Commission, and why constitutional protections for freedom of religion must remain non-negotiable.

The Ten Commanded Insults Identified by SACD

Across multiple public engagements, SACD has noted a recurring pattern in how Christian faith and pastoral leadership have been described. These are the ten characterisations that have caused the greatest alarm within church communities this statements were said by Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva- CRL Rights Commission Chairperson:

1. She said no one talks with God, dismissing spiritual testimony central to Christian belief.

2. She said that people who say they hear from God should be treated as mentally unstable.

3. She describes churches as a “circus” that should be stopped.

4. She describes christians as cows to be exploited rather than citizens acting in conscience.

5. She says christians are liars and crazy (coocko) .

6. She says pastors are not to be asked about regulation of church as they are enjoying the circus (church) that is happening.

7. She calls Christianity a thing.

8. She suggests that angels wear underwear, that angels wave back underwear at believers.

9. She describes believers as people who are under a spell of a religious leader.

10. She says pastors and religious leaders have become more ridiculous.

Beyond Regulation: A Pattern of Hostility

Alongside these remarks, the Chairperson has repeatedly promoted compulsory licensing of clergy, criminal penalties for operating without state approval, rapid implementation of regulatory frameworks, and sweeping oversight powers over religious spaces.

She has also argued that religious leaders must be forcibly restrained by law, that believers claiming spiritual callings should be disempowered, and that some religious actors represent a danger to society.

While accountability for abuse is essential, SACD insists that broad condemnation of faith communities is neither just nor constitutional. Existing criminal law already addresses fraud, violence, and exploitation.

Is There a Personal or Political Agenda?

SACD believes the combination of rhetoric and regulatory pressure suggests more than isolated frustration. It points to what appears to be a determined posture toward Christianity—one that frames the Church as something to be restrained rather than respected.

South Africans should carefully consider whether this approach aligns with the Constitution’s commitment to freedom of religion, conscience, and association.

Concern Over Clergy Who Support This Direction

SACD is equally troubled by the involvement of pastors, reverends, and bishops who appear willing to align themselves with these initiatives.

Engaging the state is not betrayal. But lending legitimacy to language that belittles faith communities is deeply concerning.

Church leaders are entrusted with protecting their congregants—not endorsing rhetoric that portrays them collectively as irrational or dangerous.

Concern Over Clergy Who Align With This Direction

SACD is particularly troubled by the involvement of pastors, reverends, and bishops who have publicly aligned themselves with these regulatory efforts.

Engagement with government is not betrayal. But standing alongside language that mocks faith, belittles believers, or portrays Christian leaders collectively as dangerous raises serious moral and pastoral questions.

Those who shepherd congregations should recognise when the faith they represent is being publicly diminished—and refuse to lend legitimacy to such treatment.

Questions for TEASA

SACD also raises pointed concerns regarding the Evangelical Alliance of South Africa.

How can an organisation claiming to represent evangelical Christians associate with regulatory processes led by someone who has repeatedly spoken about Christian belief in a manner many Christians experience as insulting?

Who is truly being represented in advisory committees—ordinary worshippers who feel demeaned, or political frameworks that threaten constitutional freedoms?

These are not rhetorical questions. They go to the heart of public accountability.

Why the Church Is Withdrawing Trust

Across the country, SACD hears from congregants who feel dismissed, caricatured, and targeted. Many now believe that continued engagement with the Chairperson yields only further offence.

When faith itself becomes the object of ridicule, dialogue ceases to be constructive.

We reaffirm: abuse must be confronted. Fraud must be prosecuted. Victims must be protected.

But Christianity as a whole cannot be caricatured to justify sweeping control over religion.

Our Position

South African Church Defenders stands firm in defence of:

• Freedom of religion and conscience

• Equality before the law

• Accountability through existing criminal statutes

• Mutual respect between church and state

• Dialogue without mockery

We reject any effort to criminalise spiritual calling, regulate theology, or portray Christianity as a societal threat.

The Church is not a circus. Faith is not madness.Believers are not commodities.Pastors are not enemies of the state.

SACD will continue to speak wherever the dignity of the Church and the constitutional freedoms of South Africans are placed at risk.