BIBLE SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA

 


29 October 2007

 

 

The Chairperson

Standing Committee on Private Member's Legislative Proposals and Special Petitions

PO Box 15

Cape Town

8000

 

Dear Ms Mentoor

 

I refer to our telephone conversation of Friday 26 October 2007.

 

The Bible Society of South Africa (BSSA) earnestly desires to work fully with the Standing Committee to reach a responsible decision regarding Act 15 of 1970, Bible Society of South Africa Act.

 

Due to very short notice, please accept that the input of this letter is preliminary and a first draft only. Owing to an exceptionally heavy work programme, which I shared with you and Mr P-J Gerber, it will be absolutely impossible for me to give the necessary attention to this matter before the second half of November. The Global Board of the United Bible Societies (UBS) meets in Cape Town from 29 October to 3 November and I am chairing the meeting, and immediately thereafter I am leaving for Hong Kong for another meeting of the UBS and will only be back in office on 19 November.

 

The BSSA is prepared to meet the Standing Committee on Friday 23 November to share with you a presentation on our work as well as our request to remain incorporated under Act 15/1970.

 

The BSSA kindly requests that the Standing Committee separate the different churchs' Acts from Act 15/1970, Bible Society of South Africa Act. The BSSA is NOT a church and Act 15/1970 should be handled separately.

 

Thank you for the opportunity to share with you some preliminary and provisional remarks in favour of incorporation under the Act.

 

1         On a daily basis ALL work and activities of the BSSA are regulated through Act 15/1970.  Act 15/1970 regulates:

a.       The controlling bodies of the BSSA namely the National and Regional Boards, as well as the Executive Committee;

b.       Our mission and task of Bible translation in all the languages of our country, as well as publication and Bible programmes;

c.       Our promotion and fundraising programmes;

d.       Our marketing and distribution programmes;

e.       Our contracts with clients such as banks etc.;

f.         Our human resources eg. service contracts, pension and provident-funds;

g.       All funds, amounting to an annual turnover of R70 million, auditing.

h.       etc.

2         Act 15/1970 makes it possible for the BSSA to enjoy tax exemption.  It is crucially important for the functioning of the BSSA, as we are a non-profit organisation with a mission to make affordable Bibles available to all people and in all the languages of our land.  The BSSA falls, at present, under Art 10.1.(cA) of the Income Tax Act.  Tax exemption on an other basis could be most cumbersome.  The BSSA cannot obtain tax exemption on the same basis as churches. – SAICA Legislation Handbook p 544, 5a-c.

3         It is an established right/interest of the BSSA which cannot/may not be taken away without sound valid reasons.

4         Die BSSA's unique identity is entrenched in Act 15.

5         The BSSA is not a church!  Act 15/1970 states that it is an "educational and religious organization".

6         The BSSA is a business industry – trading in Bibles, without a profit objective.  We serve all Christian churches and the Christian community of South Africa, which according to the last census is 80% of the population.  That is why no edition of the Bible may contain a "dogmatic or doctrinal note." (Art 3(2))

7         Nothing in the Act is discriminatory or unconstitutional.  The BSSA would have no problem should other faiths, with the mission of distributing their holy Book, also be incorporated by an Act.

8         Should incorporation by the Act be repealed, registration on any other basis would of necessity involve the Bible Society in substantial costs.  Transfer costs for a new entity would also have to be met.

9         Much confusion could result should the BSSA change its current incorporation, for example, testaments and legacies to the BSSA (20% of the BSSA's income), and this could give rise to possible losses for the Bible Society.

10     Other options are not immediately obvious, given the unique character and business of the BSSA.

11     The BSSA has been active since 1820 as a Christian service organisation in South Africa and deserves the privilege of legal incorporation because of its unique contribution to literacy, the orthographical development of the languages of our country, the promotion of a Biblical value system, the translating of the Bible in all 11 official languages, the distribution of affordable Bibles (free to prisoners).

 

Should the BSSA have to be regulated in any other way – which we hope will not be the case – it will take at least 12 months for the BSSA to have enough time to investigate other possibilities, and the implementing thereof.

 

The BSSA renders an essential service to all Christians, language groups and churches in South Africa.  Ten of our 11 official languages already have the complete Bible and the BSSA is currently busy with the translation of the Bible into Southern Ndebele, the last of our official languages without a complete Bible.  The Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature also supports this translation project.  Bible translation projects have contributed to the development of written language and literacy in South Africa.  This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Setswana Bible – the first Bible to be translated into a South African language was published in 1857.  The BSSA annually distributes approximately 750 000 complete Bibles in our country's languages at affordable prices – a Bible can, at present, be bought for R38.  The BSSA was the first Christian organisation to publish a booklet for HIV/AIDS sufferers in all 11 of our languages.  For the women in our country, we gave out a booklet "I am She" in all 11 of our languages.  For employers and employees, we published the booklet "At Work With God".  For the more than 10 million functionally illiterate people of South Africa, the audio Bible is made available.  Through all these tasks the BSSA is, on a daily basis, actively engaged in making our contribution to the moral regeneration movement led by our Deputy President.

 

A sincere, yet earnest request, is hereby made that the possible repeal of the Act be withdrawn, and that discussions rather be held later regarding possible amendments – for the sake of allowing the BSSA to continue unhindered with its crucially important task for/in South Africa.

 

I hope that these few thoughts are of some help.  Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.  We really want to co-operate fully with you for a satisfactory solution for all parties.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Gerrit S Kritzinger

Chief Executive Officer