Article provided by FOR SA (Freedom of Religion South Africa)
South Africa’s National Security Strategy 2024-2028 (NSS) contains a passage that warrants careful attention. On page 18, the phrase “mushrooming of charismatic churches” appears in a list of national security threats, alongside violent extremism, cybersecurity threats, extortion, corruption, organised crime, human trafficking and gender-based violence.
This is a published government document. Not a rumour.
The concern is specific because the document does not identify unlawful conduct by particular individuals. Rather, it names an entire religious community. Millions of South Africans are, therefore, placed within a security framework not because of anything they have done, but because of the faith tradition to which they belong.
In May 2026, a sworn affidavit filed by Professor Musa Xulu, the former CRL Section 22 Committee Chairperson, alleged that FOR SA and other lawful Christian organisations had been referred by the CRL Chair, Mrs Thoko Mkwanazi-Xaluva, to State security structures for investigation and possible surveillance, apparently because of their opposition to the CRL’s State regulation of religion agenda. Importantly, these are allegations, not established facts, but taken alongside the NSS language, they raise questions that require answers.
⚖️ FOR SA is calling for parliamentary oversight, transparency, and a clear answer to a straightforward question: Is this State security attention directed at unlawful conduct, or at lawful religious activity and legitimate democratic participation?
South Africans are entitled to that clarity.
To explore the issue further:
- Watch the full video here.
- Read the full op-ed here.
The Constitution draws clear lines between investigating unlawful conduct and monitoring lawful dissent. Knowing which side of those lines a situation falls on is not a matter of opinion. It is a constitutional obligation.
Or give directly by EFT:
Acc. name: FOR SA
Bank: ABSA
Account #: 4062114352
Branch code: 632005
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Date published: 01/06/2026
Feature image: Original YouTube cover image sourced from FOR SA official YouTube page
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