A second church has accused the commission holding hearings into allegations of abuse in places of worship of stripping them of their right to dignity after the hearing was live streamed on social media platforms and national television.
Last week, Sowetan reported on allegations of rape levelled against a well-known prophet n the Vaal.
Two women testified before the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission), alleging that they had been raped by the prophet during prayer sessions and later given pills to drink.
Sowetan is withholding the prophet's name because he has not responded to questions about the allegations
In a letter, the prophet shared with Sowetan on Monday that the commission was biased against him.
"Your public enquiry happened in front of rolling TV cameras, as it was subsequently aired on SABC TV and its radio stations, including digital platforms. Your publication of the proceedings was also live on social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter," he said.
He accused the chapter nine institution of not giving him notice that he and his church would be mentioned in the live proceedings.
"The CRL failed to give the church notice, as enjoined by the constitution, that the church and the prophet would be mentioned in such proceedings and that may have an unfair or unjust adverse impact on the good name and reputation of the church and prophet. Failure or omission to have given notice to the church and the prophet implies that the CRL was intentionally on a sojourn to unlawfully defame the name of the church and that of Prophet ...[his name]," he said.
He said he was considering suing for defamation and financial loss.
This is not the first time the CRL Rights Commission has come under fire from churches. Archbishop Stephen Zondo from the Rivers of Living Waters Ministries filed an urgent interdict in December to stop the hearings from continuing in public. He was told by Judge Leonie Windell that the courts could not interfere with the proceedings of a chapter nine institution.
The commission's spokesperson Mpiyakhe Mkholo said they informed the prophet about the proceedings.
"The commission can confirm that correspondence about the hearings was indeed sent to the pastor," he said.
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