19 Mar 2015

Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu on Wednesday March 18 presented to Parliament the Societies (Amendment) Bill that seeks to deal with the mushrooming of churches in the country.  

Minister Batshu said the amendment was necessitated by the mushrooming of churches, particularly under foreign leadership who appeared to be “economic missionaries” attracted by the economic status of this country. 

He said there was also a concern with regard to splinter churches that emerged due to struggles for leadership positions and control of church assets and finances. 

Minister Batshu further said there had been a lack of legal provision for mediation and reconciliation of church disputes saying currently, the minister and Registrar of Societies mediate but resolutions were not enforceable due to lack of legal backing. 

He said penalties prescribed in the current act had been eroded by inflation and had become insignificant, rendering them non deterrent. 

The Societies Act, he said, prescribed the minimum number of persons for the formation and registration of society as 10 but the population had grown and the figure had to be increased to 250 as religious organisations are by nature mass organisations. 

Other changes to be brought by the amendment included the requirement that two thirds of membership of any society should be citizens and resident in the country.  Fines for non-compliance with the provision which mandates office bearers to return registration certificates after deregistration have increased to P500 to P2000 from P10 to P50. 

People soliciting funds for an unregistered society would face a fine of between P1000 and P5000. 

A member of an illegal society or anyone attending a meeting of an illegal society can be fined up to P2000 including anyone who allows such a society to operate on their premises. ENDS