OPINION | Norman Khoza: Don’t drive churches ‘underground’, include them in your Covid-19 solution | News24

Some churches in South Africa are going “underground” in response to the Covid-19 restrictions placed on them – and in doing so, risking the lives of the congregations, they aim to serve, writes Norman Khoza. 

Underground movements originated more than 2 000 years ago when groups of like-minded individuals in society worked together to fight their cause or live their beliefs while avoiding the attention of authorities. 

Famous underground movements include early Christianity, resistance movements in World War II, Jewish resistance movements, and underground Christian churches in China. Recently, reports have emerged in parts of the world, including the UK and South Africa, that churches are “going underground” and holding services out of the public sight for fear of prosecution. 

One of the reasons for going underground is that churches feel that governments are targeting them unnecessarily. Several prominent and influential pastors across the world have challenged the blanket lockdown on churches. A movement called Pastors Against Church Closures, established in South Africa, submitted a memorandum to government. 

Churches feel targeted by the restriction on their numbers, as there is no scientific basis to explain why a church building with 2 000 capacity should only accommodate 250 people or less under Level 2, while taxis, shopping malls, post offices and buses can operate at 100% capacity. 

The church has played a notable role in assisting with public crises, including wars, fighting apartheid and humanitarian emergencies through the ages. Yet now the faith community is been treated as the problem instead of being embraced as having a role to play in the solution to bringing an end to the pandemic.

Night vigils 

When the church’s questions about restrictions are not addressed adequately, they resort to gathering “underground” for activities that include all-night prayers, weekly prayers, Bible studies, and efforts to attract new members. 

What is worrying is that these gatherings occur in confined spaces such as small rooms, garages and other hidden “underground” areas with poor or no ventilation. 

In “going underground”, these churches are unintentionally becoming a bigger risk to the community they intend to serve by creating the perfect conditions for the spread of Covid-19, Tuberculosis, Influenza and other airborne infections. Even if the building has adequate windows and doors, churches close them for fear of prosecution. To make it worse, the faith movements may not implement any other preventive measures because they believe that the lockdowns are meant to close churches. 

As a result, there is no screening, sanitisation or social distancing whatsoever. They even resist vaccination programmes instituted to curb the scourge of any pandemic now and in the future.

Underground churches provide their members with a sense of solidarity, knowledge, authority and meaning. How can government work with these powerful but invisible movements? 

READ | Covid-19 MAC members wanted smaller numbers for gatherings under Level 2 insiders say

It is not enough to say that faith-based organisations are represented in the government’s National Coronavirus Command Council when that representation is not seen to benefit the affected people. 

I spoke to a senior pastor, who cited the Committee’s limitations to meet his congregants’ mental and spiritual needs during this time of distress. During this conversation, one thing that resonated with me was that faith-based organisations have acquired land and buildings that need to be maintained. The pastor believed that the lockdown supported financial institutions that want to dispossess churches of their land. Whether he is correct or not, the question is, are scientists and authorities in a position to understand this social impasse.        

So, what is the solution? The church has in the past worked with governments when they were made to feel part of the solution. The church played a part in the fight against apartheid, and many wars globally. In many cases, it played a large role in meeting the needs of migrants and vulnerable populations during times of crisis. 

Strict conditions needed 

Places of worship should be opened up under certain strict conditions and included in the solution, rather than creating further problems. Conditions for opening could include hosting a limited number of services per week, with a recommended interval between the services, the appointment of well-trained compliance officers, screening of all members attending the church, providing sanitisers, adhering to social distance rules, wearing of masks, and most importantly, ensuring proper ventilation of their premises. 

The current research modelling results suggest that the transportation industry is responsible for over 70% of all Covid-19 transmissions, and ventilation can reduce this spread by over 90%. The same is true for public spaces, where it has been found that Covid-19 and TB cases spike at universities and hospitals that are not well ventilated.

Church buildings – and other public spaces – should be assessed and approved by an independent assessing authority or organisation. The assessment authority could then give recommendations on what the church can and should do to make their place of worship safe for congregants and prevent their services from becoming super-spreader events.

Churches can also use real-time monitoring technology for continuous compliance monitoring, such as recording the services, carbon dioxide monitors, and other essential records. 

– Norman Khoza is Chairman of the public benefit GreenFlag Association and a regional occupational health and safety specialist who assists African member states to develop and maintain safe work places and environmentally sustainable projects. He develops and reviews occupational health and safety, public health and environmental legal frameworks, and assists in the coordination of OHS cross-border initiatives. Norman holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health, specialising in environmental and occupational health, from the University of Limpopo.

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