Lobamba – Prime Minister Russell Dlamini has cautioned churches across the country to either regulate themselves or risk being regulated by the government.
His remarks come after a heated debate in Parliament on October 14. Members of Parliament (MPs) questioned the government’s intentions of church regulation. The Prime Minister, who was absent during the debate, later issued written responses to the House of Assembly.
In his response, Dlamini clarified that while the government recognises the need for church regulation, no formal decision has been taken to impose state control over religious institutions.
He emphasised that both the government and church bodies agree that some form of oversight is necessary.
“The government has not yet decided to regulate churches. The Ministry of Home Affairs exercise is meant to develop a comprehensive database of churches in the country. The ministry will not touch on the spiritual aspect of the church. However, there is recognition both in government and church bodies that regulation is needed. Churches in the country need some form of self-regulation. If they fail to regulate themselves, then they must be regulated,” he said.
Mbabane East MP Welcome Dlamini raised the question of whether it was the government’s intentions to regulate in the House of Assembly.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had issued a public notice inviting churches to a meeting with an undisclosed agenda. But the meeting call which fueled speculation about possible government regulation was later postponed.
The Mbabane East MP argued that the government lacked the moral authority to regulate churches, pointing out that some officials may not be believers. He admitted that disputes exist within some churches but maintained that such issues do not warrant government intervention.
Somntongo MP Sandile Nxumalo supported the view, suggesting that the state should instead take legal action against church leaders who violate the law rather than impose blanket regulation on all churches.
Discussion about this post