The SACC met with the office of President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday 15 December 2015, on the eve of the SACC Reconciliation Day service, to discuss the concerns of the church, following last week’s cabinet reshuffle, as requested by the SACC in a weekend letter.

The communication to President Zuma outlined the context of the country’s credit ratings; the potential impact of that on the livelihoods of poor communities; the instability that may arise as a result; and the unfortunate perceptions that accompany this development, that undermine public confidence in the Executive and the Person of the President.

Although the President explained his reasoning, no agreement could be reached on this matter; which speaks to the fact that, despite a willingness to work with government, there will be times when the activities and actions of government may, from the perspective of the SACC, be at odds with the needs of the poor and marginalized of this country.  It is the hope of the SACC that at such times of differing points of view, the spirit of mutual respect, motivated by the hopes for a reconciled South Africa, will prevail.

Relating to the SACC’s ‘The South African We Pray For’ campaign, it was concluded that although this was essentially a churches programme, there could be elements of the campaign that would require a collaborative engagement with government, provided that the views and objectives of both parties were aligned.