Revd Friedrich von Fintel of the Lutheran Church of Southern Africa has challenged the government of South Africa to consider the fate of all South Africans and not just of those who elected them into power.

He was addressing a gathering at the Durban Magistrates? Court on Friday 22 January for the prayer service organised by Diakonia Council of Churches in solidarity with the Kennedy 12 who were shortly to appear in court. After reading from Ezekiel 34:2 where God instructs the prophet to prophesy against the rulers of Israel, Revd von Fintel asked, “Could it be that God also instructs us to prophesy against the rulers of South Africa?”

He lamented the political system of South Africa which he referred to as a “one-party state?. “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. There need to be checks and balances so that one political party cannot just bulldoze other parties into submission. The citizens of this country are more important than the members of the majority party”, he said.

Coming to the South African justice system, Revd von Fintel said the laws do not seem to be applied impartially. He said, “The perpetrators of violence against Abahlali baseMjondolo are going scot free. The victims are made to be perpetrators. Thus, justice is turned upside down. This is a mockery of justice”.
Revd von Fintel said God is a just and righteous God who hates injustice and evil. “We need to challenge people in power that they are accountable to God. Sooner or later God is going to catch up with them”.

He ended with a woe to corrupt leaders: “Alas to the rulers who abuse their power to enrich themselves, disregarding the needs of the poor who cannot help themselves. We as Christians and church leaders need to follow Jesus’ example and be on the side of the poor, the abused and the disadvantaged”.

In a brief court appearance, presided over by a new magistrate, the five were again remanded in custody and will be back in court on 5 February for their routine remand hearing. The seven who are out on bail and who were seeking relaxation of their bail conditions were provisionally allowed to move to a safe house in Durban but only after the “inspection” of the house by the court. The rest of the bail conditions remain unchanged.