---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Ashworth <[email protected]> Date: Fri, Mar 18, 2011 at 6:38 AM Subject: [sudan-john-ashworth] Fw: South African bishop receives death threats To: Group <[email protected]>
SOUTH AFRICA: Anglican Bishop Receives Death Threats PRETORIA, March 18, 2011 (CISA) -The South African Council of Churches and its international ecumenical partners are shocked and outraged by death threats against its President, Bishop Jo Seoka, outspoken Anglican Bishop of Pretoria and members of his family. On Tuesday morning March 15, 2011, five men armed with guns arrived at Bishop Seoka’s Pretoria home, declaring their intention to kill the Bishop and his wife. The Bishop and his wife were not at home at the time, but the intruders returned later in the day looking for them. They also made remarks that suggested that they were watching the bishop and his wife’s movements. According to the General Secretary, Rev. Mautji Pataki, on March 16, two different people telephoned the bishop’s home enquiring from those present about the Bishop’s whereabouts. The callers reiterated their threats against the bishop and left a message that he should pack and leave the house. Although the bishop remains calm and spiritually strong, Bishop Seoka’s colleagues in the ecumenical movement are extremely concerned about these threats, which have understandably caused members of his family a great deal of anxiety. At the time that these events occurred, the bishop was hosting a meeting of the SACC’s international ecumenical partners, who are equally disturbed by these reports. “At the moment, we have no information about who is behind these threats or their motives. However, we recognise that Bishop Seoka, who is the Anglican Bishop of Pretoria, has long been an outspoken advocate for social and economic justice and a courageous opponent of corruption and unethical business practices in his capacity as a leader of the ecumenical movement,” a press statement from the general secretary’s office said. It further said, “Furthermore, we cannot take these threats lightly because we know that clergy are often vulnerable. We have been shocked and saddened by past incidents in which clergy and church leaders have been murdered.” The statement said, “The Gauteng Police Commissioner has been notified of these threats, and we appreciate his cooperation in enhancing security for the bishop and his family. The SACC will not allow threats such as these to deter us from pursuing our calling to fulfil the gospel imperatives to be in solidarity with the poor and marginalised and to provide moral leadership to the nation.” END ______________________ John Ashworth Sudan Advisor Sudan Ecumenical Forum [email protected] +254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile) +249 919 695 362 (Sudan mobile) +27 82 853 3556 (South Africa mobile) +44 750 304 1790 (UK/international) +88 216 4334 0735 (Thuraya satphone) PO Box 52002 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya This is a personal e-mail address and the contents do not necessarily reflect the views of any organisation -- The content of this message does not necessarily reflect John Ashworth's views. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, John Ashworth is not the author of the content and the source is always cited. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sudan-john-ashworth" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.co.za/group/sudan-john-ashworth -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
