Unity Fellowship Church still at loggerheads with the City of Joburg

This afternoon I got a call from a member of the Unity Fellowship Church in Chiawelo, Soweto. He informed me that the church was conducting a sit-in at the Rea Vaya bus station next to the City of Joburg municipal offices in Braamfontein. They had just been muscled off the public square next to the Mayor's parlour, where they had requested a meeting with the Mayor to demand an answer to their petition lodged in June calling on the City to address the church's grievances.

Readers of my blog might recall my post from March - read it here - in which I described the Church's long-running battle for justice concerning its occupation of its Chiawelo site, and its proposed re-location to a new site in Eikenhof, south of Johannesburg, which it has bought and paid for.

To summarise: the Church, headed by Pastor Mukhuba and her husband Dr Mukhuba, has occupied its Chiawelo site for many years, having obtained the necessary permits from the City. Since then its congregation has swelled massively - Pastor Mukhuba's Facebook page has over 270 000 followers.

The Church began receiving complaints from occupants of adjoining houses who claimed it was infringing by-laws, particularly those related to noise pollution. The Church regularly attracts 5 000 followers to its Sunday services and up to 25 000 to its all-night vigils so you can imagine the decibels produced by such volumes of enthusiastic worshippers.

Attempts by the neighbours to interdict the Church led to the Metro police swooping in and confiscating chairs and other Church belongings, and the matter has since found its way to court. After speaking at the Church in March I handed in a petition to Parliament, with 55 000 signatories, calling on the City to address its grievances.

After hearing nothing from the City, the Church organised a march to the municipal offices on June 8th and handed in another petition. The City failed to honour its promise to meet them and Pastor Mukhuba stepped up the campaign to be heard, hence today's sit-in. They are determined to stay until the Mayor responds.

This issue raises many questions, aired at today's sit-in. Whose rights prevail - the Church's or the neighbouring residents? Is the Church infringing by-laws, and why have residential houses been built in a supposed buffer zone between the industrial area occupied by the Church and the next-door residential area? Why are City departments hassling the Church even though it has succeeded in interdicting Metro Police from further harassment? Why is the City pulling down tents meant for worshipping in the townships when the apartheid government willingly provided sites to worship ?

The Church has come to the DA for help. I and several DA colleagues, including City councillors and my colleague Patrick Atkinson MP, DA Political Head for Joburg Far South which takes in the Church's Eikenhof site, have met with them on a number of occasions. We will soon be visiting the Eikenhof site to see for ourselves why the City has refused to re-zone it from agricultural use to use for cultural, sporting and recreational facilities.

Pastor and Dr Mukhuba believe the City has a political agenda due to the Church's vocal criticism of the City and the governing party (read the ANC) meted out from the pulpit over many months.

All the Church wants is to be heard, and to avoid costly legal battles, Pastor Mukhuba told me today. This is a reasonable request. It is nearly four months since the Church lodged its petition with the City. Why the deafening silence?

This issue will not go away and I am keen to see it resolved amicably as soon as possible, whilst not interfering in due court processes. I joined the sit-in to listen to what was said. The Church's followers were numerous, disciplined and filled with the Holy Spirit as Pastor Mukhuba addressed them and led them in prayer.

Pastor Mukhuba's dignified posture belies her determination to see this through.

I have just received the press statement from the Church which you can read below:

Media Release

From Unity Fellowship Church

Unity Fellowship Church under the leadership of Pastor Mukhuba and SOWETO Ministers Fraternal sit-in at the office of the Mayor of the City of Johannesburg.

DETAILS OF THE MEDIA RELEASE

The unity Fellowship Church and other churches have been suffering in the hands of the Joburg Metropolitan City Council through its different structures such as the JMPD where churches are harassed and demolished. In attempts to resolve the matter, Unity Fellowship Church and SOWETO Ministers Fraternal marched on the 8th of June 2015 on which a Memorandum was handed over to the Mayor Parks Tau demanding the intervention by the Mayor. The Mayor promised to address the matter within 21 days. Since the 8 June 2015 it is almost 3 months since the Mayor failed to fulfill his promise to resolve the matter. 

In order to seek the answers from the handed over memorandum, Unity Fellowship Church and Soweto Ministers Fraternal will be embarking on sit-in until the Mayor responds to the demands.

Details of the sit-in:

Where: Joburg Metro Mayor’s Office; Braamfontein , JOHANNESBURG

When: from 30 September 2015 until the Mayor respond

Time: 9h00 AM

NUMBER TO CALL

For further information about the sit-in contact:

Mr. Masindi Mmbengwa- 072 829 8852

Kind regards

Ps Mukhuba

Unity Fellowship Church