The Galeshewe Pastors Organisation has turned to the EFF in its quest to secure available plots of land to build churches on.
THE GALESHEWE Pastors Organisation has turned to the EFF in its quest to secure available plots of land to build churches on.
The secretary-general of the Galeshewe Pastors Organisation, David Setilo, said that the organisation had appealed to church leaders from Jacobsdal, Delportshoop, Douglas, Longlands, Barkly West, Kimberley, Greenpoint, Colville, Roodepan, Riverton and Galeshewe to join their fight for land.
“We have called on different church leaders to refrain from attending the ANC’s 108 anniversary celebrations in January and instead, during that time, we will grab land. Northern Cape pastors have been fighting since 2012 for church land to conduct religious services and all we have received are empty promises and lies,” said Setilo.
He added that following a general meeting that was held in Ritchie on December 8, it was decided that the pastors would vote for and support the EFF.
“It is the only party that can give us land to conduct our church services.”
EFF provincial spokesperson, Obakeng Lechuti, was unable to confirm whether any formal meetings were held with the organisation.
“We do not have any official figures of pastors who have recently signed up as new members and we invite the organisation to meet with us this week,” said Lechuti.
“We do support the pastors in need of church land, where they can preach the Word. The pastors are welcome to join the EFF as we are a multi-denominational and multi-racial party.
“We encourage that vacant available land be given to churches, as open spaces often become criminal hot-spots where alcohol and drugs are abused. This land should rather be utilised as places of worship and moral regeneration.”
Lechuti advised the pastors to follow the correct procedures and legislation in obtaining land.
“All South Africans should enjoy the freedom of the use of the land. However, the EFF does not advocate illegal land grabs. We do not want people to be washed away during storms or be unduly subjected to safety hazards if the land is not equipped with the proper infrastructure.
“The land that is occupied must be suitable, usable and safe.”
