Abstract
This chapter explores a specific religious site, the Central Methodist Mission (CMM) in central Johannesburg. The church began to accommodate refugees, mostly from Zimbabwe, since 2004/2005, and the number of people staying at the church increased during and after the outbreaks of xenophobic violence that spread across South Africa in 2008. Passing from being simply a religious site, this institution became a sort of improvised ‘refugee camp’ hosting around 3,000 migrants and, in doing so, has become the site of much contestation and controversy at a local and national level. When Zimbabwean migrants turned to the church, this materially affected the running and organisation of the existing religious community as well as the religious site. This chapter investigates the way this overcrowded place became the only ‘safe’ alternative in a very adverse society, and it also illustrates that in light of this dynamic process following Apartheid, religion and religious institutions are re-emerging as public actors in South Africa.
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Notes
- 1.
A few victims of the xenophobic attacks were actually South Africans, opening up a discussion around the construction of the identity of the ‘outsider’.
- 2.
Interview with Mr Hussein, The Institute of Islamic Services, Pretoria, 18 May 2010.
- 3.
Interview with Father David Holdcroft, Jesuit Refugees Service, Pretoria, 18 May 2010.
- 4.
This research has been funded by the Development Trust Research Fund (DTRF) at the University of Edinburgh, and it would not have been possible without the valuable work of my research assistant, Tantenda Mukwedeya (PhD student at the University of the Witwatersrand).
- 5.
- 6.
Data from the South African State in Googhew (2000).
- 7.
Interview with Professor James Cochrane, Department of Religious Studies, University of Cape Town, 15 April 2001.
- 8.
An aspect many times lamented by people interviewed inside mainline churches.
- 9.
The Catholic Church is the historical denomination that lost the least number of members after the end of Apartheid.
- 10.
Interview with Archbishop Denis Hurley and my interview with Paddy Kearney, Diakonia organisation, both on the 12 of August 2000, Durban.
- 11.
A rare case in history in which money to support a liberation struggle was routed through international religious channels. For example, the Kagiso Trust, established in 1985 to channel funds from the European Community’s (EC) to support victims of Apartheid, represents the unique case in which the EC has chosen to allocate funding through religious institutions. This is highly contested by part of the Church and by the South African government that tried to stop this partnership. See, for example, Tingle (1992). Money was also channelled by the World Council of Churches through the Programme to Combat Racism, which supported the non-violent aspect of the ANC struggle, such as education and public relations.
- 12.
Interview with Rev. Gift Moerane, Ecumenical Secretary, South African Council of Churches (SACC), Khotso House, Johannesburg, 21 May 2010.
- 13.
This analysis moves away from strict interpretations of religion in the public sphere based on the seminal work of Habermas (1991, 2006). The way in which religious organisations occupy the public in developing countries is different from the Euro/Western-centric interpretations offered by Habermas and need to be contextualised. In Africa, where the level of organisation of civil society actors is quite weak for historical and economic reasons (see, e.g. Makumbe 1998), the role of religious organisations as public actors is vibrant and vital in ensuring a plurality of voices. Furthermore, in Africa, the separation between private and public spaces assumes different and less dichotomized meanings than in Euro/Western contexts. As Ellis posed it, there is a continuum between the visible and invisible world and between the public and the private sphere that deserves a deeper understanding (Ellis in Bompani and Frahm-Arp 2010). For a critique of Habermas’s universalistic approach, see, for example, Meyer and Moors (2006).
- 14.
This strongly emerged from interviews and informal conversations with Zimbabweans at the church.
- 15.
Soweto represents a sort of mythological place in the rest of Africa for it is a political role in the struggle against Apartheid but also for the representation of the vast dangerous township; for example, a settlement in Nairobi, at the eastern fringes, is called Soweto. This is located in what was planned to have been Phase III of the Kayole, at the eastern fringes of Nairobi.
- 16.
The same bishop addressed the issue of ethnic division in many sermons between May 2009 and January 2010 [fieldwork notes].
- 17.
Interview with Annah Moyo, Southern African Centre for the Survivors of Torture (SACST), 22 July 2009, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
- 18.
Interview with Leothere, French teacher and church steward, Central Methodist Church, 3 July 2009.
- 19.
These are data provided by the Church Refugee Ministry; they are more or less accurate although no updated records exist.
- 20.
Bishop Paul Verryn in the 1970s and in the 1980s was involved with the politically active South African Council of Churches (SACC) and lived in Soweto where he used to support and hide young comrades escaping from regime persecution.
- 21.
This idea strongly emerged through the Apartheid interviews with the church congregants and people living in the surrounding area or collaborating with the CMM (Johannesburg, July/August 2009; Johannesburg May/June 2010).
- 22.
It has a loose leadership structure, but it is chaired by the bishop and has several subcommittees that are responsible for education, health and the different programmes undertaken at the church.
- 23.
Bishop Paul Verryn speaking at the Refugee Ministry meeting, Main Sanctuary, CMM, 10 July 2009.
- 24.
Interview with Bishop Verryn, CMM, Johannesburg, 21 July 2009.
- 25.
For further information, see http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/newsroom/releases/archives09/journeytohope/
- 26.
Although it is open every day, this clinic does not make admissions. Patients in need of admission are assisted by the programme called Home Based Care, a programme that takes care of the seriously ill patients, and it is sort of a hospital ward. Volunteers run it from the refugee community.
- 27.
These are weekly meetings in which refugees, members of external organisations and religious leaders meet to discuss the life, projects and events inside the CMM.
- 28.
For example, when South Africa was under a cholera epidemic towards the end of 2008, MSF set up a successful strategy to contain the spread of the illness in the overcrowded building. No death for cholera has been registered so far (data from the CMM documents archive).
- 29.
Interview with Annah Moyo, Southern African Centre for the Survivors of Torture (SACST), Johannesburg, 27 July 2009. We observed similar points of view from other interviewees, for example, Ms Geina Mahlatshana, community development worker, and Mr Dawood Moosa, Migrants Help Desk, City of Johannesburg.
- 30.
When we tried to contact the MEC for Health and Social Development, Ms Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu requesting an interview, the secretary kept asking to phone again later or to send other emails. This happened between July and October 2009. We never interviewed her. Also, Ms Loretta Modise, Office of the Premier (Private Office), and Ms Tuli from the Central Johannesburg Migration Desk refused to be interviewed.
- 31.
- 32.
Interview with Mr Dawood Mosa, operations manager for the City of Johannesburg Migrant Help Desk, Johannesburg, 06 August 2009.
- 33.
Interview with Bishop Verryn, CMM, 21 July 2009.
- 34.
Mail and Guardian online. 6 February 2008. Refugees return to raided church amid legal wrangles. Online source: www.mg.co.za/article/2008–02–06-refugees-return-to-raided-church-amid-legal-wrangles
- 35.
Interview with Bianca Tolbom, doctors without borders (MSF), Johannesburg, 22 July 2009.
- 36.
Interview with Bishop Paul Verryn, Central Methodist Mission, 21 July 2009.
- 37.
Interview with Paul DeKlerk – manager and co-owner of Captain Dorego’s restaurant, Johannesburg, 27 July 2009.
- 38.
Interview with Leothere, French teacher and church steward, Central Methodist Church, 3 July 2009.
- 39.
Ibid.
- 40.
Interview with Geina Mahaltshana, community development worker, Johannesburg, 04 August 2009.
- 41.
Conversation with Bishop Verryn in front of the CMM building, Johannesburg, 30 July 2009.
- 42.
See, for example, http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010–01–29-paul-verryn-what-went-wrong
http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/411f07caf1bd44a1b66a4f17b0b74b7c/22–01–2010–10–09/DA_Give_Verryn_some_credit and conversation with Mr Munya in front of the CMM, February 2010 [research assistant].
- 43.
- 44.
These are more than rumours that circulate amongst immigrants. Many have been approached by South African announcing new and more rigorous xenophobic attacks after the World Cup. For similar information, see the Mail & Guardian (May 21, 2010) ‘Hate attacks may rise again’ p. 14.
- 45.
Conversation with Reason Beremauro, PhD student working at the Methodist Church, Johannesburg, 24 May 2010.
- 46.
Drawing from Grace Davie’s explanation of secularisation and churches in the United Kingdom, see Davie (1994).
- 47.
From this research in the CMM and from several research projects pursued by the African Centre for Migration and Society , the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, it emerged that migrants frequently experienced xenophobia from state agencies like in hospitals, from the police and at public offices. For more information on the issue, see, for example, Neocosmos (2008).
- 48.
My conversation with Joe, young Zimbabwean at the CMM, Johannesburg, 20 July 2009.
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Bompani, B. (2013). ‘It is not a shelter, it is a church!’ Religious Organisations, the Public Sphere and Xenophobia in South Africa. In: Hopkins, P., Kong, L., Olson, E. (eds) Religion and Place. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4685-5_8
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