Overview:

• Recognition and registration are amalgamated rather than ideally differentiated; a focus is placed on legal registration with no means of a distinct procedure for existential recognition; successful registration means very little in terms of freedom to conduct religious activities as the government will continue intervene.

• The law is contradictory; it asks that groups not conducting any activity, including the establishment of a place of worship or conducting fundraising, yet it asks for a legal, physical address during the registration.

• The rule of mandatory registration, particularly as this effects all forms of religious activity, violates the Bielefeldt provision; registration is a prerequisite for any religious activity.

• Organisations of all kinds, both governmental and non-governmental have the opportunity and in some regards, the obligation to report unregistered religious activity, especially activity that could possibly contravene the broad and subjective laws on religion and belief; this in effect creates a watchkeeper state.

Positive elements:

• Nil.

Recommendations:

• Complete dismantlement of the terminally restrictive and repressive regime of laws and policies that restrict all aspects of religious life for citizens and all operations of religious organisations throughout the country; such a dismantlement would first need to take place in entirety in order for any type of new recognition system to be established or reorganised.