Church leaders call for government to reopen places of worship
With some parts of the country preparing to move to Level 3 regulations, some church leaders say government must allow places of worship to reopen.
Earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa met with the South African Council of Churches as part of consultations in preparing for a step down from Level 4.
Durban-based church leader Pastor Donovan Anderson says worshiping should be considered an essential activity.
He says there's been no consideration for the financial situation of churches during this lockdown. "They are still keeping the churches under lockdown, they're opening schools, they're opening supermarkets.
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"When you look at Sassa and grant lines they're overcrowded and yet we can practice safe measure in church. We can keep our distances we can sanitise our churches," he said.
Douglas Mellish of City Hill Church in Pinetown says if there are set rules of how churches should respond to ensure safety, all churches will stick to them.
"All churches would have those measures in place from scanning the people at the door, to hand sanitisers, to social distancing. If we allow a small group of people in the spaces we have it's easier to do that.
