Witnesses in Stellenbosch

2002-12-15 21:49

Stellenbosch - At first glance, it seemed as though the African National Congress faithful had started their Stellenbosch conference a day early.

But the thousands of people listening to the voice thundering out over the loudspeakers in the Danie Craven stadium on Sunday had higher things on their mind than worldly politics.

They were all Jehovahs' Witnesses, who had threaded their way past the ANC banners and posters and security to take part in their annual district convention.

The peace-loving Witnesses said there had been some friction over security arrangements with ANC security and police, who initially wanted to cordon off roads and bar them from the parking area at the stadium, which is next to the DF Malan Memorial hall where the ANC's own bash begins on Monday morning.

However, reason and the fact that the Witnesses had already paid for the parking area prevailed, and the convention - under the slogan "Zealous Kingdom Proclaimers" - went ahead without disruption.

Apart from being intrigued at the idea that the country's leaders would be attending, the Witnesses did not seem particularly interested in the ANC conference.

"We are not politically oriented at all," explained Witness Nic Binneman of Fish Hoek during the closing session on Sunday afternoon.

"We are totally neutral, because our whole lifestyle's based on the Bible.

"We find that political leaders don't base their decisions and lifestyle on the Bible. If they did that, they would be more successful.

"There's a lot of selfishness in the political arena. But that's their decision."

Another Witness, Lincoln Constant of Ocean View also on the Peninsula, explained that his fellow-believers were able to be neutral because they held God was allowing politicians to rule on earth.

"We can't be against the government of the day," he said. "We respect them as the ruling nations of the world. We respect the ANC... otherwise there won't be order on earth."

Witnesses, he said, did not vote in elections. Instead, they had their sights set on a post-Armageddon world in which the wicked had been destroyed and the Earth restored to an Eden-like paradise in which all righteous people would live.

Would that include politicians?

"We can't be the personal judges that this brand of people is bad," he said.

"That is something only God can decide."

- SAPA