Bishop Paul Verryn suspension a big blow to Methodist Church refugees
Posted by Nxwala on March 13, 2010
It has been a long battle for Zimbabwean refugees who are staying in the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg. The Municipality is trying to resettle them in another place they call suitable for residential purposes, something that the refugees and the Bishop do not support and pledged to not give up easily. I suspect this is why he was recently suspended from the church. But without the Bishop, many would be dead in Zimbabwe by now. He fought a good battle to help save more than three thousand lives and I am sure even now God will help for his suspension to be lifted because I am sure he is innocent. It is not a crime to help a life that is desperately looking for safety. He fought successfully in court, even when most of the local media did not back him. The government has lost trust in him even though he helped many apartheid victims prior to1994.
It is not yet clear why the church leadership is trying to suspend Verryn, but I think it is a big blow to those refugees who have made the church their home for the last three years. What will they do now? The government will take everybody out to a temporary residence that allows those without a home or place to stay to use the place for a maximum of three months. In these three months you are supposed to be looking for work or to be making a plan on how to face your future. If you fail to find work or put things together in the three months given, you will be thrown out because they need to make space for new refugees. This is why the Bishop would not allow the government to take over managing the refugees. If they are failing to find jobs while they are in the Church, how are they going to get those jobs while in the temporary residence?
Last year alone South African President Jacob Zuma promised to create half a million jobs but then a million jobs were lost through the world economic recession. These unemployed South Africans are now failing to get other jobs. Most of the refugees in the church have got Section 22 refugee permits and according to South African law, first preference should be given to locals and then foreigners. There are not enough jobs for the outsiders, which is why we witnessed xenophobic attacks on Western Cape farms and countless cases of abuse against foreigners across the country. The reason the Bishop wouldn’t allow the government to take over the refugees is so serious and valid that even a blind person can see why. Whatever they do to him, be it suspension or being chased at work, we will support him and be there for him.
I remember one day when I really did not have any food, somebody who has been very helpful to me since I came to South Africa seven years ago directed me to the Bishop for help. When meeting me, he pulled out his last R60 and gave it to me so I could have my first supper in three days. The man is so helpful. I think I expected a little more from him because he is white and he is a Bishop of a big church. But when I saw the large number of people living in the church under his responsibility I realized that to get the R60 was very lucky. The man is a friend to Zimbabweans and if one day our freedom comes, he must be honored and given a place to stay for the job well done in the protection of human rights of our fellow citizens.
The government wants the church to be closed so I think the church board of trustees decided to suspend the Bishop in order to stop the government from shutting the Holy place. If the government can assure the Bishop that they will take care of the refugees forever and not take the people to a temporary place and then chase them away, then the Bishop will cooperate with them.
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05-22-2010
8:01 am
Loyce Chitongo-Gonese
I have had first hand experience of the South African government’s inhumane treatment towards foreignors.Well done Bishop Paul.