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  Church in Southern Africa Celebrates 75 Years of a Local Hierarchy: A Light That Continues to Shine By Fr Mathibela Sebothoma Hundreds of Catholics, together with representatives of ecumenical and fraternal churches, gathered at the Church of the Beatitudes in Zwavelpoort for a historic celebration marking 75 years since the establishment of the Catholic hierarchy in Southern Africa . The solemn Eucharistic celebration formed part of the jubilee commemorations of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) and coincided with the bishops’ annual plenary session, held this year in the capital, Pretoria. The liturgy was marked by joy, reverence and a deep sense of gratitude. The Archdiocese of Pretoria choir led the congregation in spirited singing, giving expression to a faith that has taken deep root in the soil of Southern Africa over the past seven and a half decades. A Jubilee of Maturity and Responsibility The principal celebrant was Cardinal Stephen Brisl...
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  Water Is Life: A Call for Transparency, Accountability, and Moral Courage I do not wish to sound alarmist. I am not a biologist, a scientist, or an engineer. I speak neither with laboratory authority nor technical expertise. I speak simply as a citizen, a pastor, and a communicator who knows one fundamental truth: water is a source of life . When questions arise about the safety of water, silence is not neutral—it is dangerous. The televised water tests aired on the @Newzroom405 channel should worry us all. Although these tests were conducted in a few municipal towns in the Eastern Cape, their implications go far beyond provincial borders. Water infrastructure, governance failures, and institutional neglect are not isolated realities in South Africa. They are systemic. What we see in one part of the country often reflects what is happening—or what may soon happen—elsewhere. The concern here is not the television station, the test kits, or even the exact scientific interpretati...
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  New Year Homily: “Blessed by God, Born of a Woman, Sent with Hope” Introduction As we begin a brand-new year, the Church does something very wise: she does not start with fireworks, resolutions, or predictions. She begins with a woman and a child . On this first day of the year, we celebrate Mary, the Mother of God , and we pray for peace . The world rushes forward; the Church pauses and says: Let us begin with blessing, relationship, and grace. Story Someone once said: “My New Year’s resolution is 1080p… because 720p wasn’t clear enough last year!” Another said: “I stopped making New Year resolutions because by 3 January I was already asking God for mercy.” The truth is: we start the year with great intentions, but often weak stamina. That is why today is not about our promises to God, but God’s promise to us . Readings 1. Numbers 6:22–27 – The Blessing “The Lord bless you and keep you…” This is one of the oldest prayers in Scripture. Notice something important: God d...
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  Accountability Without Overreach: Why the CRL Commission Risks Undermining Religious Freedom By Fr Mathibela Sebothoma  The failure of parts of the Church to govern itself responsibly is no longer in dispute. Financial misconduct, abuse of authority, and weak internal accountability have rightly provoked public anger. These failures demand consequences. But they do not justify a solution that threatens a core constitutional freedom. In its growing intervention into religious life, the Cultural, Religious and Linguistic (CRL) Rights Commission risks crossing an important line: from protecting citizens against abuse to policing belief itself. A constitutional democracy must be able to hold religious institutions accountable without deciding what counts as a “legitimate” religion or how faith should be practised. When the state assumes that role, freedom of religion becomes conditional—granted only to those who pass official approval. To be clear, churches are not above the...
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  Four Men Ordained Permanent Deacons for the Archdiocese of Pretoria on Reconciliation Day Zwavelpoort – 16 June 2025 Four Christian men were ordained to the permanent diaconate for the Archdiocese of Pretoria on Monday, 16 June 2025, at a solemn Eucharistic celebration held at the Church of the Beatitudes in Zwavelpoort. The ordination coincided with South Africa’s Reconciliation Day, adding a profound symbolic dimension to a celebration rooted in service, unity and peace. Those ordained were Mr Pieter Kroukamp O.F.S. (Presentation Parish, Montana), Dr Patrick Makawa-Mbewe (St Thomas More Parish, Monavoni), Mr Piet Nkgoogo Mashilo (Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Dennilton), and Mr Michael Machalo Tloubatla (St Thomas More Parish, Monavoni). At the beginning of the ordination rite, each candidate was called by name and, in a moving gesture reflecting the vocation of married deacons, they were accompanied to the sanctuary by their wives. Also present were their children, paren...
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  South Africa: A Nation Under Siege by Corruption & Power Politicians have turned our country into a crime scene – all in their greedy pursuit of corruption and power. Anyone who dares disrupt their criminal empire becomes a target for assassination . Yet, we are still blessed with heroes like Lt Colonel Kelebogile Thepa 👏🇿🇦 The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) spokesperson recently gave emotional testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into police interference and misconduct. She revealed: 🔫 Being accosted by armed men – TWICE 🔥 Receiving death threats of being burnt alive 📰 Her career sabotaged and name smeared by a superior after a "blue light scandal" media probe Her courage in exposing corruption and fighting for accountability is inspiring . This is the kind of integrity South Africa desperately needs. We need MORE like Lt Col Thepa to restore the rule of law and reclaim our country. 💪 #StandWithThepa #EndCorrupti...
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  Aluta Continua: Remembering Miriam Makeba in a South Africa Still Struggling for Dignity By Mathibela Sebothoma I grew up listening to Miriam Makeba’s music. As a young person in the 1980s, with the help of Peter Mnono Makgatholela, we sang her songs not just for entertainment, but as an expression of identity and hope. Only later did I come to understand that the woman whose voice shaped our imagination had been exiled and banned from her own home. Her music was not only beautiful; it was a lifeline for a people kept silent. On November 9, 2008, Miriam Makeba collapsed on stage in Castel Volturno, Italy, performing at an anti-mafia concert in solidarity with the writer Roberto Saviano. She was seventy-six. Seventeen years later, on the anniversary of her passing, her songs Aluta Continua (1980) and African Sunset (1987) still speak urgently to South Africa. Aluta Continua was recorded during her exile in Guinea. Its title, “the struggle continues,” drew from Mozambican liberatio...
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