An exploration of the policing of religious extremism in South Africa

Abstract

This is a qualitative research which is a practical or pragmatist world-view method, utilised all over the world that affords the researcher flexibility in terms of techniques, methods and procedures for the research. It was undertaken to explore the policing of religious extremism (RE) in South Africa (SA). It focused on Christianity as the most followed religious faith in SA, specifically in the Gauteng Province. This is where the incidences of these bogus pastors and religious leaders were mostly reported. According to Alexander (2019) this is small province but with both large population and economy, hence many activities in it. This research dealt with or was about bogus pastors and bishops or religious leaders who abuse congregants in Churches for self-interest. The abuse directed mostly at women and those vulnerable, ranges from sexual assaults, rapes, money laundering, to name the few. Our President, Honourable (Hon.) Mr Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa even made a call to all communities to curb these bogus pastors. Whilst the General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC), Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, also made a call on the government to play a role in protecting citizens from this harm and added that guidelines should have to be established to regulate Churches in SA, (Fihlani, 2016). The Bishop confirmed the absence of guidelines and the need to educate congregants about the new trend or abuse. A non-random sampling, a sampling method that utilises the expertise of researchers, was utilised as a tool to select participants involved in order to explore the policing of religious extremism in SA. Information to educate and for the research was gathered from literatures, articles, official documents, relevant to the topic and through interviews with participants. A total of 18 participants were interviewed for the research. It was interviews conducted with participants from the South African Police Service (SAPS) investigators, security experts, pastors and ordinary Church members. Information gathered was recorded, transcribed and analysed using the University of South Africa’s (UNISA) offered programme called Atlas.ti. It is a programme that easily assists with the analysis of data collected for a qualitative research.

Lolu wucwaningo olubandakanya ukuqoqa nokuhlaziya imininingwane engeyona izinombolo oluyindlela yokubuka umhlaba esebenzayo noma engokoqobo, esetshenziswa emhlabeni wonke, enikeza umcwaningi ukuguquguquka ngokwamasu, izindlela kanye nezinqubo zocwaningo. Kwenziwa ukuhlola ukugcinwa kwamaphoyisa ngenkolo edlulele (RE) eNingizimu Afrika (SA). Igxile ebuKholweni njengenkolo elandelwa kakhulu eNingizimu Afrika, ikakhulukazi esifundazweni saseGauteng. Yilapho kubikwa khona izigameko zalaba befundisi mbumbulu nabaholi bezenkolo. Ngokuka-Alexander (2019), lesi yisifundazwe esincane esinabantu abaningi kanye nomnotho, yingakho kunemisebenzi eminingi kuso. Lolu cwaningo luthinte abefundisi nababhishobhi mbumbulu noma abaholi bezenkolo abahlukumeza amabandla emasontweni ngenxa yokuzizuzisa bona. Ukuhlukunyezwa, okubhekiswe kakhulu kubantu besifazane nalabo abasengcupheni, kusuka ekuhlukunyezweni ngokocansi, ukudlwengulwa, ukushushumbiswa kwemali, ukubala okumbalwa. UMongameli wethu, uMhlonishwa. Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa uze wanxusa yonke imiphakathi ukuthi inqande laba befundisi mbumbulu. UNobhala Jikelele woMkhandlu WamaBandla waseNingizimu Afrika (SACC), uMbhishobhi Malusi Mpumlwana, naye unxuse uhulumeni ukuthi abambe iqhaza ekuvikeleni izakhamizi kulobu bubi wengeza ngokuthi kumele kusungulwe imihlahlandlela yokulawula amasonto eNingizimu Afrika (Fihlani, 2016). Umbhishobhi ukuqinisekisile ukungabikho kwemihlahlandlela kanye nesidingo sokufundisa amabandla mayelana nokuthambekela okusha noma ukuhlukumeza. Ukuthatha amasampula okungahleliwe, indlela yokusampula esebenzisa ubuchwepheshe babacwaningi, yasetshenziswa njengethuluzi lokukhetha ababambiqhaza abathintekayo ukuze bahlole ukugcinwa kwamaphoyisa ngenkolo edlulele eNingizimu Afrika. Ulwazi lwezemfundo nocwaningo luqoqwe ezincwadini, ezihlokweni kanye nemibhalo esemthethweni ehambisana nesihloko, nangezingxoxo nababambe iqhaza. Isamba sababambe iqhaza abangu-18 kwaxoxwa nabo kulolu cwaningo. Inhlolokhono yenziwe nababambe iqhaza babaphenyi boMbutho Wamaphoyisa aseNingizimu Afrika (SAPS), ongoti bezokuphepha, abefundisi namalungu esonto ajwayelekile. Ulwazi oluqoqwe lwaqoshwa, lwabhalwa, futhi lwahlaziywa kusetshenziswa uhlelo olunikezwa yiMfundo Ephakeme yaseNingizimu Afrika (UNISA) olubizwa nge-Atlas.ti. Iwuhlelo olusiza kalula ekuhlaziyeni imininingwane eqoqwe ocwaningweni oluqoqa futhi luhlaziye imininingwane engeyona izinombolo.

Leli lirhubhululo elidzimelele kukhwalithi (qualitative research), okumumethodo lowo oqala iphasi ngokwamagadango aphathekako nanyana izinto eziphathekako, kumumethodo osetjenziswa liphasi loke, onikela umrhubhululi ukuzilawula malungana namathekiniki, imimethodo kanye neenkambiso zerhubhululo. Irhubhululo lenziwa ngesizathu sokuhlola ukugadwa kobupurelani bekolo eSewula Afrika (SA). Irhubhululo beliqale khulu ubuKrestu njengekolo elandelwa khulu eSewula Afrika, ikakhulukazi esiFundeni seGauteng. Lapha kulapho izehlakalo zalaba bafundisi abaziingebengu kanye nabarholi bezekolo abaziingebengu bezibikwa khulu. Ngokuka-Alexander (2019), lesi kusifunda esincani esinakho kokubili inani eliphezulu labantu kanye nomnotho omkhulu, kanti-ke zinengi izinto ezenzekako lapho. Leli rhubhululo beliqalene nabafundisi kanye namabhitjhobhi nanyana abarholi bezekolo abahlukumeza ibandla emasondweni ngehloso yokwanelisa iinkareko zabo. Ukuhlukumeza kunqotjhiswe bunqopha ikakhulukazi kubomma kanye nalabo ababuthakathaka, ukuthoma ngokuhlukunyezwa ngokomseme, ukukatwa, ukugalaja imali, kanye nokhunye okunengi. UMongameli wethu, umHlonitjhwa uCyril Matamela Ramaphosa wabe wenza isibawo emiphakathini yoke ukobana ilwe nalaba bafundisi abaziingebengu. uNobhalamazombe woMkhandlu wezamaSondo eSewula Afrika (SACC), uBitjhobhi Malusi Mpumlwana, naye wabawa urhulumende bona adlale indima ekuvikeleni izakhamuzi kule ngozi begodu wangezelela ngokuthi imihlahlandlela kufanele isungulwe ukwenzela ukulawula amasondo weSewula Afrika (Fihlani, 2016). UBitjhobhi uqinisekisile ukutlhogeka kwemihlahlandlela kanye nokutlhogeka kwesidingo sokufundisa ibandla ngezika ezitja kanye nokuhlukunyezwa. Ukusampula kwe-non-random sampling, okumumethodo wesampuli esebenzisa ubukghoni babarhubhululi, isebenzise ithulusi lokukhetha abadlalindima ababandakanyeka ekuhloleni ukugada ubupurelani bezekolo eSewula Afrika.Ilwazi lefundo kanye nerhubhululo libuthelelwe kumtlolo wobukghwari, kuma-athikili kanye nakumitlolo ehlelekileko ekhambisana nesihloko, kanye nangokusebenzisa amahlolombono enziwa nababandakanywa ababaphenduli bemibuzo. Inani lababandakanywa abali-18 babuzwa ngehlolombono yerhubhululo. Amahlolombono enziwa nababandakanywa ababaphenyi/ababofokisi bePhiko lezesiPholisa leSewula Afrika Afrika (SAPS), abosolwazi bezokuvikela, abafundisi, kanye namalunga ajayelekileko wesondo. Ilwazi elabuthelelwako larikhodwa, latjhugululelwa ekutlolweni, begodu latsengwa ngokusebenzisa iphrogremu eyethulwa yiYunivesithi yeSewula Afrika (UNISA) ebizwa nge-Atlas.ti. Kuyiphrogremu leyo esiza lula ukutsengwa kwedatha ebuthelelwe ngehloso yerhubhululo elidzimelele kukhwalithi.