On the 16 of July 2021 church leaders gathered in Pretoria at the Union Buildings to protest against the closure of churches. The gathering was led by Moafrika Wa Maila who joined forces with other church leaders under the Pastors against church Closure movement.
During the Presidential address which took place, yesterday the 25th of July 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country had moved to a level 3 lockdown. This therefore resulted in some restrictions being eased which included allowing religious gatherings to resume under the condition that 50 people will be allowed indoors and 100 people outdoors. It is still however mandatory to wear a mask during these gatherings and to maintain all Covid-19 protocols according to the Disaster Management Act 2002 section 27(2).
In spite of the announcement form the President, The South African Council of Churches(SACC) in Tshwane warned against the opening of churches. The spokesperson of SACC spoke to the IOL, “The council distances itself from heeding the call of prematurely opening churches under the current circumstances,” he said. The council is worried that the 4th wave may be upon us if the churches reopen to full capacity and the council wishes to fight against covid-19.
Despite SACC’s concerns, the churches which are resuming their gatherings have assured that Covid-19 protocols will be observed while other churches are choosing to continue with online services.
