This comes after the organisation started an Unburdening process during which people could tell their stories of how fraud and corruption impacted their lives as part of a Healing and Reconciliation Programme.

SACC General Secretary, Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, says the South African Human Sciences Research Council formed part of the project and is expected to release its own report this week. This report is expected to contain much more detailed and explosive information.

Mpumlwana emphasised that the Unburdening Report is not going to form the basis for a court case or any litigation. “The South African Council of Churches has no intention of approaching the court,” he explained. Mpumlwana says this is despite the fact that a group of lawyers, who volunteered their services, was involved in the process that led to the report. Mpumlwana says the report will be presented to its highest decision-making body – the national conference – in June. “A course of action will then be decided upon during our conference,” he said.

Mpumlwana says the process is, however, not completed. “We are still open for business. We are aware that some of the biggest cases of fraud and corruption are taking place in smaller areas, so people should feel free to come forward and tell their stories,” he said. Mpumlwana says people can contact the SACC on a toll-free number and the lawyers will come to wherever they are to listen and capture their stories.

He said the SACC would also like to encourage white South Africans to come forward. “There are people who are still sitting with a sense of guilt that has a huge impact on their lives. There are also people whose properties were illegally taken during the transitional period in the early 90’s and we are very interested in those cases,” said Mpulwana. He said the process involves ministering to victims and perpetrators alike.

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