Church members and leaders in Mpumalanga have raised concerns about the consultation process on the proposed self-regulatory framework for churches.

This comes as the Section 22 Ad Hoc Committee for the Christian Sector concludes its consultations with pastors in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality on Thursday.  Some pastors have questioned the fairness of the process.

They argue that consultations should have been conducted at individual churches to establish whether there are indeed challenges that require a framework to regulate church activities and maintain order.

“The feeling I have is one of disappointment and sadness, in the sense that a consultation is supposed to come and sense and pick up what the people view and feel, not to come and lecture, instruct, frog-march and command people in a particular direction. Particularly, the way and manner in which the chairperson has been speaking to us,” said one pastor.

Another pastor said: “They were supposed to come and approach us if they saw something that we were not doing right. They were supposed to conduct workshops and then go to townships and villages to make people aware.”

Meanwhile, Committee Chairperson Dr John Maloma has dismissed claims that church leaders were not consulted ahead of the visit.

“We received a database of all the pastors in the area, and I personally submitted letters to some of the leaders. They mentioned Reverend Mdaka, a well-known and respected man of God, to whom I submitted a letter and asked him to spread the word. So, the fact that we have over 400 people coming here and someone says they don’t know is a very mysterious question for me. I’m not sure what the agenda behind it is. We’ve never had such a large attendance, and you can see that I also try, every time I start, to check who is here for the first time.”

VISUALS | The CRL Rights Commission’s Section 22 Committee is hosting public hearings on church self-regulation, ethical and professional conduct, as well as legal and regulatory compliance. For more visit https://t.co/N9V5BF50jx https://t.co/CVEsYJGJuK

— SABC News (@SABCNews) November 10, 2026