To the next speaker, Ms. Pearl Mashabele, community betterment is the hallmark of a group’s value to its citizens. As former editor and publisher of Tribute magazine, and founder of the Tribute Achiever Awards, she regularly recognizes those individuals and groups actively building a better South Africa. In fact, the South African government has appointed her to chair nation-wide celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of the birth of true democracy for our republic.

Visitors tour the new church to learn about the Scientology religion.

She acknowledged the Church’s many programs to advance South Africa’s culture through the arts and its youth programs that teach respect for human dignity, personal integrity and tolerance through publications that have enlightened thousands of students and are now being incorporated into the curriculum.

“You are indeed setting a powerful and wonderful example for all,” she said in closing. “May the new Church of Scientology in Johannesburg stand forever as a symbol of Africa’s new-found hope and confidence. Together we can experience the national rebirth that we aspire to. Together we will enjoy your Church as a spiritual symbol of what you will bring to this African century.”

The nation’s Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology followed. Dr. Ben Ngubane first acknowledged the work that began in the 1970s of South African Scientologists who had investigated and exposed to the world the hidden psychiatric slave camps where tens of thousands of Blacks had suffered oppressive conditions and abuse for decades. He then recognized the new church’s vital role in creating an “African renaissance,” saying members could be counted upon to transform the nation in three ways, the first of which is through its programs addressing the barriers to learning.

“I saw the transformation of gang leaders and members who had been illiterate and involved in crime and drugs. Here they were studying and learning to read and write, becoming productive members of society, free of drugs. Younger children were teaching their elders, while gang leaders became tutors.”

He said the study methods, also discovered and developed by Mr. Hubbard, “represent a revolution in comprehension and the speed with which education and assimilation of knowledge can be accomplished — necessary assets for building our country, or any country.”

He applauded Scientologists for their “work and perseverance through the difficult years of the past,” (alluding to the mid-1970s Freedom exposes of the psychiatric slave camps, which let to the apartheid regime’s since-lifted ban of this publication.)

“You never wavered from what was right. You never faltered in your mission to uplift the spirit of man. These qualities are important in realizing our dream of a new South Africa,” he said.