Thesis (DTh (Practical Theology and Missiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Gangsterism, as described in this study, is a serious problem. It has deep historical roots in
Cape town has developed into a kind of ‘resident evil’ that rears its ugly head time and again,
despite several efforts by state organs to crush it.
The study was not attempted as a thorough and in-depth research on gangs as such. The main
research question was: How do faith communities, in particular Christian churches, respond to
the challenges of gangsterism on the Cape Flats.
The research gives an overview of gangsterism as a global phenomenon and how it specifically
manifests and presents itself within the context of the Cape Flats of Cape Town. The discussion
of gangsterism deliberately wanted to dispel the notion that there are quick-fix solutions to
gangsterism. People of faith should guard against superficial analyses and over-simplification of
social issues, including gangsterism, poverty and unemployment. With this in mind, the research
has traced the historical origins of gangsterism in Cape Town, highlighting various socio-political,
economic as well as cultural and personal factors that contributed to the formation and
establishment of street gangs. It was also noted how some of these factors still exist in postapartheid
South Africa and continue to provide fertile ground for gangsterism to continually raise
its ugly head in communities on the Cape Flats. It was important to note that many gangs have
evolved from ordinary street gangs to sophisticated, high-profile crime syndicates that have built
strongholds in poor communities. This furthermore underlines the fact that there are not quick-fix
solutions to gangsterism as if it is only a few youngsters causing trouble that should be sorted
out [Chapter 2].
Faith communities on the Cape Flats have come a long way themselves. These communities
have shown an incredible resilience in the face of many challenges as a result of socio-political
factors. It is therefore important to discuss some of the elements that contributed to this
resilience as the research explores the nature of the ecclesiology that has developed over a
period of time. What transpired is that the ecclesiology under discussion is dynamic, not static in
nature. The type of ecclesiology on the Cape Flats may be called a social-systemic ministry of
inter-contextual presence. It is responsive to the social context, and is kept alive by the context
with a huge emphasis on orthopraxy rather than orthodoxy. The situation on the Cape Flats
requires a missional ecclesiology as faith communities are challenged to continuously involve
themselves in the mission dei. While reaching out to the world, faith communities are also called
iv
upon to be open, practicing hospitality as they welcome gangsters and ex-gangsters into their
spaces of worship [Chapter 3].
The next question to explore is: What kind of pastoral care is needed when faith communities on
the Cape Flats have to deal with the challenge of gangsterism and other social phenomena like
poverty, unemployment and substance-abuse? In order to answer this question, it was
necessary to trace back the development of pastoral care and counseling over many centuries.
Learning from these historical developments, a communal-contextual paradigm for pastoral care
was chosen as a base theory. This choice indicates a move away from individual care with a
focus on the human “self” to a hermeneutics of systemic, public care and compassionate
presence. Some of the elements of this kind of care is discussed which include contextuality, as
well as the eco-systemic, hermeneutical, anthropological, relational and public nature of pastoral
care. It is also important that pastoral care operates and is practiced inter-disciplinary in order to
provide the best possible help to care-seekers.
The final question that is posed is: How different is the care that faith communities provide from
the care of any other welfare agency or non-governmental organization (NGO)? In order to link
an eco-systemic and social hermeneutic paradigm to the theology of presence of God within
communal and contextual systems, a pneumatological approach to theory formation in pastoral
care is proposed. Pastoral care has to offer more than behavioural and social sciences, because
we believe that the salvation and grace it offers are good news to people. Pastoral care offers
not only comfort and consolation, but also transformation (change and growth) and the fostering
of a mature faith and spirituality by means of Scripture, prayer and the sacraments within the
communion sanctorum, the familia dei. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gangsterisme, soos dit in hierdie studie beskryf word, is ‘n ernstige probleem. Dit het diep
historiese wortels in Kaapstad, wat met die verloop van tyd ontwikkel het in ‘n tipe ‘plaaslike
euwel’ wat gereeld kop uitsteek, ten spyte van talle pogings deur staatsorganisasies om dit uit te
roei.
Die studie is nie aangepak met die doel om ‘n deeglike en in diepte navorsing te wees op
bendes as sodanig nie. Die hoof navorsingsvraag was: Hoe reageer geloofsgemeenskappe,
meer spesifiek Christelike kerke, op die uitdagings van gangsterisme op die Kaapse Vlakte?
‘n Oorsig word gegee van gangsterisme as ‘n wêreldwye verskynsel en hoe dit spesifiek
manifesteer en voorkom in die konteks van die Kaapse Vlakte van Kaapstad. Die bespreking
van gangsterisme stel ten doel om die idee te verwerp dat eenvoudige oplossings te vinde is vir
gangsterisme. Gelowige mense moet waak teen oppervlakkige ontledings en
oorvereenvoudiging van sosiale aangeleenthede, insluitend gangsterisme, armoede en
werkloosheid. Gedagtig hieraan, het die navorsing die historiese oorsprong van gangsterisme in
Kaapstad nagetrek, met klem op die verskeie sosio-politiese, ekonomiese sowel as die kulturele
en persoonlike faktore wat bygedra het tot die vorming en vestiging van straatbendes. Melding
was ook gemaak van die feit dat sommige van hierdie faktore steeds bestaan in post-apartheid
Suid-Afrika en voortgaan om ‘n geskikte milieu te skep vir gangsterisme om voortdurend kop uit
te steek in gemeenskappe op die Kaapse Vlakte. Dit was belangrik om te vermeld dat bendes
ontwikkel het van gewone straatbendes na gesofistikeerde, hoë profiel misdaadsindikate wat
hulle ingegrawe het in arm gemeenskappe.
Dit bevestig verder dat daar geen eenvoudige oplossings is vir gangsterisme, asof dit slegs ‘n
paar jongelinge is wat kwaad aanvang en uitgesorteer behoort te word.
Geloofsgemeenskappe op die Kaapse Vlakte het self ook ‘n lang pad gestap. Hierdie
gemeenskappe het ‘n ongelooflike weerstand getoon in die aangesig van menigte uitdagings as
gevolg van sosio-politiese faktore. Gevolglik is dit belangrik om sommige van die elemente te
bespreek wat bygedra het tot hierdie weerstand in die lig van die bespreking van die aard van
die ekklesiologie soos dit met die verloop van tyd ontwikkel het. Dit het geblyk dat die
ekklesiologie onder bespreking dinamies en nie staties van aard is. Die ekklesiologie van die
Kaapse Vlakte kan na verwys word as ‘n sosiaal-sistemiese bediening van inter-kontekstuele
teenwoordigheid. Dit reageer op die sosiale konteks, en word aan die gang gehou deur die
konteks, met meer klem op ortopraksie eerder as op ortodoksie. Die situasie op die Kaapse
Vlakte vereis ‘n missionale ekklesiologie soos geloofsgemeenskappe voortdurend uitgedaag
vi
word om hulle te betrek in die mission dei. Wyl hulle uitreik na die wêreld, word
geloofsgemeenskappe ook opgeroep om toeganklik en gasvry te wees teenoor bendelede en
gewese bendelede deur hulle in hul midde in plekke van aanbidding te verwelkom.
Die volgende vraag om te ondersoek is die vraag na die tipe pastorale sorg wat nodig is
wanneer geloofsgemeenskappe op die Kaapse Vlakte te doene het met die uitdagings van
gangsterisme en ander sosiale verskynsels soos armoede, werkloosheid en dwelmmisbruik.
Om hierdie vraag te kan beantwoord, was dit nodig om die ontwikkeling van pastorale sorg en
berading oor die eeue na te speur. Gegrond op hierdie historiese ontwikkelinge, is besluit op ‘n
gemeenskaplik-kontekstuele paradigma as basis teorie vir pastorale sorg. Hierdie keuse dui op
‘n wegbreek van individuele versorging met die fokus op die menslike ‘self’ na ‘n hermeneutiek
van sistemiese, publieke sorg en medelye teenwoordigheid.
Sommige van die elemente van hierdie tipe sorg word bespreek, wat kontekstualiteit insluit,
sowel as die eko—sistemiese, hermeneutiese, antropologiese, relasionele en publieke aard van
pastorale sorg. Dit is verder ook belangrik om kennis te neem dat pastorale sorg interdissiplinêr
werksaam is en uitgevoer word om die bes moontlike sorg te bied aan diegene wat om sorg
aanklop.
Die laaste vraag wat gestel word: Hoe verskil die sorg wat deur geloofsgemeenskappe voorsien
word van die sorg van enige ander welsynsorganisasie of nie-regeringsorganisasie (NRO)? Om
‘n eko-sistemiese en sosiaal hermeneutiese paradigma te verbind met die teologie van
teenwoordigheid van God binne gemeenskaplike en kontekstuele sisteme word ‘n
pneumatologiese benadering tot teorie vorming in pastorale sorg voorgestel. Pastorale sorg het
meer om te bied as die gedrags- en sosiale wetenskappe, want ons glo dat die verlossing en
genade wat dit bied goeie nuus is vir mense. Pastorale sorg bied nie net bemoediging en
vertroosting nie, maar ook transformasie (verandering en groei) en die kweking van ‘n volwasse
geloof en spiritualiteit deur middel van Skrif, gebed en die sakramente binne die communion
sanctorum, die familia dei.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/3986 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | MacMaster, Llewellyn L. M. |
| Contributors | Louw, D. J., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 307 leaves |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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