Anglican Archbishop to Lead Religious Leaders On Khayelitsha Sanitation Visit

Anglican Communion News Service (London)

29 June 2011

On Thursday 30th June at 14h00 the Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, will lead a delegation from the Western Cape Religious Leaders’ Forum to a number of informal settlements in Khayelitsha, to stand in solidarity with local people suffering from inadequate sanitation. The Social Justice Coalition will be conducting the visit.

Archbishop Makgoba said: “All our different faiths, in various ways, teach that every human being is a child of God, made in God’s image and likeness or reflecting his creative purposes. And so every individual deserves to be accorded honour akin to that due to God himself. Our Constitution also agrees that everyone has inherent dignity, and the right to have their dignity respected, upheld and protected.

“Too many South Africans live in conditions that are simply corrosive of human dignity. Sanitation is the most basic of services, and where it is not in place, the consequences are severe, particularly for health. Too many of our children needlessly die, at a pitifully young age, of diseases that would not spread in sanitary conditions.

“The purpose of our visit as leaders of the city’s faith communities is partly to show solidarity with those living with inadequate sanitation. But we also want to remind our political leaders and our fellow citizens that these conditions are endemic in our country today, and tell them loudly and clearly that this is simply unacceptable in a country which promises dignity to all.”

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