DEALING WITH VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA: THE ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY OF CHURCHES

This article investigates the phenomenon of violence in South Africa. The statistics of the excessive violence are presented and the possible reasons for this violence are examined. In this respect the influence of the historic social stratification, the inception of Apartheid, the one-dimensional system of the past and poverty are highlighted. The central theoretical argument of this study is that churches and Christians can play an important role in the struggle against violent behaviour. This role can be fulfilled by nurturing a culture of respect for the concept of human dignity, human rights, and the rule of law and nation building. Furthermore, churches and Christians can set signs of hope in the society by being actively engaged in the alleviation of poverty, the recovery of family values and life, the nurturing of social cohesion and the setting of examples of non-violent solutions to conflicts