When news broke about the Shembe church planning a mass assembly to commemorate the founding of the church in 1910, there was immediate reaction from conservation agencies who feared the influx of thousands of worshippers would lead to large-scale destruction of the surrounding eco-sensitive Mpunza Hill forest area.
Sensibly, the MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development, Meshack Radebe, church leaders, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the uMhlathuze Municipality hastily convened to find common ground and intercept emotional discord. Amicable agreements were reached and the rally allowed to proceed.
This was important given historical considerations relating to past forced removals, land claims and the insertion that the area was holy ground.
But then followed disorder of a different kind, which obviously no one foresaw – or perhaps, from the church leadership’s side at least, chose to ignore.
No planning went into establishing proper infrastructure to accommodate the multitudes, the numbers of which the church surely should have been aware of.
The result was that when the flock flocked in, the residential area of Birdswood was simply turned into a makeshift camping site.
Overnight, without any consultation with residents in the suburb or municipal approval, homeowners woke up to find Christian soldiers marching in as to war, pitching wall-to-wall tents and turning their verges into virtual squatter camps – clearly in violation of municipal bylaws.
No temporary sanitation facilities were made available, so gobsmacked residents stood powerless as the faithful went about their ablutions alfresco and arrogantly parked in or damaged their driveways, among other disagreeable things.
Hostile response
Complaints were simply brushed off with hostile comments such as ‘if you say we can’t park here, you fight God’ or ‘you should show respect for our culture’.
What nonsense.
This from people who themselves show total disregard for the rights of those they inconvenience with their self-righteous invasion of private space.
Where is their respect for citizens’ rights to peace and quiet in their own homes or freedom of movement?
As a nation of diversity, nobody argues against mutual respect for each others’ cultures. That is a given, but too often, we find that – to borrow from the well-known Animal Farm maxim – some cultures are more equal than others.
The required levels of tolerance and civil coexistence can only succeed once all cultural groupings planning jamborees take due diligence of factors such as specific activities or choice of locations, which may bring them in conflict with the rights or beliefs of others, or transgress the laws of the land. This requires proper planning and consultation, not only at macro level, but even between neighbours.
The Birdswood mess is a perfect example of how this sensitive issue should not be handled.
The other troubling aspect is that ratepayers expect their municipality to act proactively and decisively to ensure their rights are not infringed.
This is not happening.
agree totally with carl