SA Church Defenders reject proposed CRL framework in its entirety

The South African Church Defenders is expected to hold a media briefing in Mbombela later on Friday, following the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) Section 22 ad hoc committee public hearings in Mpumalanga.

The group has rejected the proposed framework in its entirety.

The group alleged that the framework is an attack on freedom of religion, as guaranteed in Section 15 and Section 31 of the Constitution of the Republic.

During the public hearings, they stated that churches must regulate themselves through their own councils, denominations and mother bodies, not through a state-created body.

X | @SABCNews | WATCH | The Section 22 Ad Hoc Committee for the Christian Sector continues consultations in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, on a draft self-regulation framework aimed at addressing the abuse of belief systems by some religious leaders. The CRL Commission’s Dr John Maloma explains. https://t.co/C3Y1fbYNmF

— SABC News (@SABCNews) November 11, 2026