08/10/2026
7 OCTOBER 2026
MEDIA STATEMENT
FROM THE DESK OF THE SACC PALESTINE SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE
SACC DECLARES SOLIDARITY WITH GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR PALESTINE AHEAD OF 10 OCTOBER GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION
The South African Council of Churches (SACC) announces its solidarity with the Global Alliance for Palestine (GAFP) and its support for the coordinated Global Day of Action planned for Saturday, 10 October 2026, as part of a wider mobilisation window running from 9 to 11 October.
This decision, taken by the SACC's National Executive Committee is a reflection of our long-standing commitment for a just peace solution to the crisis in the Holy Land. We’ve been watching with grief, the escalation of violence and the immense toll in Palestinian civilian life, which has displaced entire communities, and deepened a state of oppression Palestinians have endured since 1948, intensifying after 1967. Palestinian families continue to bury their dead and rebuild amid bombardment and blockade.
The SACC's position is not new, as the SACC has stood firmly against the illegal occupation of Palestine, guided by the same theological convictions that shaped the churches' witness against apartheid in South Africa. We continue to stand in solidarity with South Africa's landmark application to the International Court of Justice, and we echo the call of the global ecumenical and civil society community for an immediate and lasting end to the suffering endured by both peoples.
"Freedom, justice and peace are indivisible. What is just should be the basis for a long lasting peace for all peoples of the region. The common humanity and dignity of all must be the basis of that which guides all communities in the Holy Land," said Rev Mzwandile Molo, General Secretary of the SACC. “As a Council formed in the crucible of our own struggle against apartheid, we recognise patterns of dispossession, displacement and violence that must end, for Palestinians and for the security of Israelis alike. Our faith does not permit us to look away from either.”.
The SACC joins the Global Alliance for Palestine in calling for:
• An immediate halt to the genocide and occupation
• A comprehensive global arms embargo against Israel
• Concrete protection for Palestinians and their national rights
• Full application of international law to end systemic impunity
• Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel
The SACC, through its member churches across South Africa and in support of other Palestine solidarity movements, is observing the week of 3–11 October 2026 through prayer, remembrance, and participation in peaceful, coordinated actions in support of the Global Day of Action. An ecumenical service of solidarity and lament, foregrounding the children killed in Gaza through a reading of their names, prayer, song and a message of solidarity from Palestine, will be held in Johannesburg at the Salvation Army’s Carl Sithole Centre on 10 October.
The SACC reaffirms its commitment to non-violence and to the dignity of all people, and calls on all South Africans of every faith and background, to reflect deeply on the moral urgency of this moment.
ENDS
Details of Ecumenical Service:
Silent Protest: 12h00
Venue: Corner Chris Hani Road & Mountain Sage Road, Klipspruit, Soweto (just after Maponya Mall, opposite Engen Radebe Motors)
Service: 14h00
Venue: Salvation Army’s Carl Sithole Centre, 64 Chris Hani Road, Klipspruit Ext 2, Soweto
Media Enquiries:
Khuthalani Khumalo
SACC Communications Consultant
South African Council of Churches
Tel: 084 681 7125 | Email: [email protected]
About the SACC:
The South African Council of Churches (SACC) is an instrument and servant of its members and is committed to expressing, through proclamation and programmes, the united witness of the church in South Africa, especially in matters of national debate.
With its enviable track record of advocacy, care and empowerment, the SACC aims to be the moral compass of South Africa, advocating for social and economic justice, national reconciliation, the integrity of the natural environment, eradication of poverty, and contributing towards the empowerment of all those who are spiritually, socially and economically marginalised.
