Mr Zuma, South Africa’s first Zulu president, told an event in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal that Christianity brought about “orphans” and “old-age homes” thereby destroying Africa’s traditions, according to South Africa’s Times newspaper.
“As Africans, long before the arrival of religion and [the] gospel, we had our own ways of doing things,” he said.
“Those were times that the religious people refer to as dark days but we know that, during those times, there were no orphans or old-age homes. Christianity has brought along these things.”
Mr Zuma’s office later issued a statement saying that his comments had been reported in a “misleading manner” and were aimed at ensuring South Africans do not neglect African culture.
“While we should embrace western culture and Christianity, we should not neglect the African ways of doing things,” said Mac Maharaj, presidency spokesman.
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However, South Africa’s Council of Churches has said it was “deeply disappointed”.
“We are just taken aback. We are shocked and we don’t understand,” said Reverend Mautji Pataki, SACC general secretary.
Rev Pataki said that it was the “calling” of Christians to care for the vulnerable of society.
“The Lord Jesus Christ was a friend to orphans and widowers and the old and the disabled. Wherever they are, we will do our ministry … which is to take care of them. It’s a calling. It’s not a choice.”
Mr Zuma is a devout follower of tribal custom, including polygamy. In January last year he wed his third wife at a traditional Zulu ceremony.
During the ritual wedding the bride, Madiba, 38, was introduced to the elders and ancestors, two years after Mr Zuma, 69, paid the Ilobolo (dowry).
In 2007, Mr Zuma was made an honorary pastor at a meeting of independent charismatic churches.
Mr Maharaj said Mr Zuma would meet religious leaders in the new year to discuss joint initiatives on social issues.
The man is correct in his observations. Afterall, South Africa was the last to feel the talons of the christian invaders under aparthid rule…not even thirty years ago.
He is most certainly right. Christianity came on the heels of enslavement, murder, rape, genocide, apartheid etc. Our Slave master religion and pseudohistory. When religion came, those were the dark days. Our oppressors gave us the bible and the koran and sufferation and then took our land, resources and wealth. I suppose some would think that was a fair trade/exchange *rolls eyes*
Many Africans speak poorly of black South Africans because they “allowed” slavery. However being in the black diaspora, I admire them, they endured apartheid, and NEVER sold or traded their people. The west Africans on the other hand sold us in a heartbeat and continued for over 500 years. Never fought for us or send a ship for us.
Total and utter rubbish and hypocrisy … blame the white man, blame religion, blame any and everything, but
“In 2007, Mr Zuma was made an honorary pastor at a meeting of independent charismatic churches.”
…make me hug up weh me a cuss shhhh please don’t take notice.
Maybe him jus a see di root a di problems :nerd
Honorary doesn’t mean he’s a pastor. He is on point.
This too deep fi me,so forward Lalibela!! I really need my few blood vessels Inna mi brain free of bursting!Unno carry on!
He’s so right.
most of you are not thinking, but like the politician just being overly emotional. Stop the tirade for a second and slow it down. well didn’t Christ speak of false believers and false Christ’s? check Matthew 24:4… . Listen there is a letting go of ways that are not in line with Jehovah God and those ways must be put down and not considered again. Before even these so called Christians brought the Bible traditional cultures offered no hope of resurrection truth, so how could the have been better off in the long run?
You citing bible versus cannot erase Zumas worldview or mine abouy christianity. Afrikans have a right to say anything negative about a belief system that has nearly eradicated everything Afrikan.
Typical of black christian defenders to site bible verses. BTW, are there any that goes indepth about the continent (except Egypt 😀 ) and its people as a whole?
You so emotional till you have fi quote scripture!
What “resurrection truth” you talking about? Nailing people to crosses and have dem a hang out till dem dead hours and days later and left fi buzzard pick and worm drop out off is no story fi proud of.
Every place human gathered there were creation stories and they lived accordingly. You bible beaters are ignorant and disrespectful to others not seeing things your way. That is Zuma’s point
Christianity is not compatible with every culture. Christianity is not always the right way, neither is it the easiest way to achieve the Christ consciousness. What Jesus and his disciples were practicing is so far removed from modern Christianity that if Jesus was to come right this moment many Christians would reject him on the spot.
I am just surprise this is even on here. There is this Afrikaan story about the ship name Jesus that took slaves to the new world. Many of the would be slaves after listening to the missionaries, though in shackles, were glad for “deliverance” they didn’t know much english but they knew the word J E S U S which was emblazoned on the ship so they knew they would be safe.
Ms B :nerd
So de brainwasha dem mek de slave dem know say by sitting in the dark, stinking, disease infested bowels of jesus dem safe and dem “deliverance” is on the way…which was via a pan a black oily polish, inspection of the mouth, ass, genitals and the pen for auction, later rape, beating, mutalation and death; in jesus name the ‘delivered’ dem pray amen :2thumbup
Christianity is a mixture of truth and lies just like Islam, follower of Yeshua was and is the correct path of the truth as for those in the middle east- Zoroastrimism and Yazidi are the correct path to the truth which is still being practice to this day…. Most of us slaves was taken from North Africa (kemit-Egypt) and Morocco and Lybia, these lands were conquered by the Muslims and hence sold us to the white man… This west African shit is all lies, look up THE ARAB SLAVE TRADE which is hidden from history…
Arab slave trade isn’t a hidden secret. Base on physiology slaves were from the west and the interiors of the continent. Many brokered to Portugal and Spain by their kinsmen. When Spain, dutch and the brits came into play North African arabs and same blacks ramped up the supply to meet the demand by kidnapping and raids.
The “arabs” that terrorized South sudan are said joncrows of the north and descendants of the kidnappers of the past.
Rare to find any Afrikans with the physiological make up from the north, east and south in the Americas due to the middle passage.
Him darm ignorant. The failure of Africa lies in its leaders. They have been blinded by corruption. Enriching themselves and their minions with the resources of their peole. Zuma fee move him bumbo. Does the average black south African have 1 percent of his wealth. How many wifes are the south African people paying for him to keep.
one bible verse i am curious for any christian to explain is this…the question that was asked of moses and his ppl is how can we sing the lords song in a strange land??…..meaning that even as slaves they still did not accept the gods of egypt….so concurrently my question is why should the enslaved africans who already had their own religions accept christianity?…..and my favorite quote ever…as it relates to the picture of the white jesus that every body and mumma used to have…..why is it acceptable for your savior and your master to be the same?…personally i feel that white jesus was a model that da vinci or one of his ilk used for the paintings, sculptures etc…therefore….. the mona lisa is depicted as beauty at that particular point in history…..beauty and likewise the image of jesus were depicted exactly as such…..images of a particular time in history….