What does the South Africa report establish about planning to leave?
For planning to leave in South Africa, Rage 2 Rebuild selects “Constitution and government” from Humanists International’s chapter dated 9 September 2019. It describes national institutions or published conditions, not family reactions, emotions or access to an individual service. Check current facts before acting.
Country chapter updated 9 September 2019 · retrieved September 5, 2026. This chapter is more than two years old. Its assessments are not confirmation of current law or a prediction about your circumstances.
Constitution and government
The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly and association. These rights are generally respected in practice.
Family, community and society
The Witchcraft Suppression Act of 1957 criminalizes activities relating to witchcraft and witch-hunting including both claiming a knowledge of witchcraft, and accusing others of practicing witchcraft. In 2007 the South African Pagan Rights Alliance and the Traditional Healers Organisation submitted requests to the South African Law Reform Commission for an investigation into the constitutionality of the act. In 2010 a South African Law Reform Commission project was approved by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development in order to review witchcraft legislation. Older women in communities holding traditional beliefs are most vulnerable to persecution, along with children who are vulnerable to murder through some witchcraft practices, and related abuses.
Freedom of expression, advocacy of humanist values
Freedoms of expression and the press are protected in the constitution and generally respected in practice. However, the government under president Jacob Zuma had been increasingly hostile to media criticism. Most South Africans receive the news via radio outlets, a majority of which are controlled by the state-run broadcaster South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). The SABC also dominates the television market. The ANC government has been highly sensitive to media criticism and encroached on the editorial independence of the SABC. In addition, government officials have used gag orders to block reporting on alleged corruption, and journalists are occasionally subject to harassment and legal action.
Report extracts and assessment data are reused/adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Humanists International does not endorse Elder X. Original reflection guidance is identified separately below.
Which South Africa findings should I check before acting?
Rage 2 Rebuild highlights 3 published findings for planning to leave in South Africa. Our selection connects the 9 September 2019 chapter with formal identity, private belief and public disclosure. Each quote is separate from our practical question. It identifies something to investigate, not a conclusion about your household.
The state is secular, with separation of religious and political authorities, not discriminating against any religion or belief
A favorable published assessment is useful context, but it does not guarantee a particular household, organization or service will be supportive.
A question to verify: What remains to be checked with the actual people or institution involved?
Expression of core humanist principles on democracy, freedom or human rights is somewhat restricted
This is a published assessment of institutions, not an individual outcome or a current legal determination.
A question to verify: Which part of this assessment applies to the actual decision, and what still needs current local verification?
Blasphemy or criticism of religion is restricted in law and is punishable by a fine
The chapter flags a rule affecting expression or a change of religious identity. Private belief, a public statement and an institutional request can have different consequences.
A question to verify: Which current rules apply to the specific statement or request, and who is qualified to check them before it is made?
How can I prepare to leave religion?
For planning to leave in South Africa, Rage 2 Rebuild suggests this decision: Choose the first change you can make without losing an essential support. The two starting points below address formal identity, private belief and public disclosure. Check consequential facts with appropriate current help; these are reflection prompts, not a certified procedure.
Separate three different changes
What you believe, what an institution records and what you tell another person are different questions. You can stop finding a teaching persuasive without immediately changing a document, resigning from an organization or discussing it at home. Write down which of those changes you want and which is being demanded by somebody else.
Start with practical dependence
Consider housing, income, documents, devices, children, immigration status and ongoing care. Identify who controls each item and what would change if they learned about your beliefs. A person who is emotionally supportive may still be unable to provide accommodation or confidential advice. Be specific about the support you actually have.
Read the full general guide for this decision →
Start with your own question →What would help with planning to leave?
Rage 2 Rebuild’s South Africa reflection tool offers three starting points for planning to leave. Choose a situation to see a practical question and a country finding to check. Your choice stays in page memory; it is not sent, stored as a plan or used to diagnose you. You can clear it or read without answering.
You can use the guide without choosing an option.
How did religious identity change in South Africa?
Rage 2 Rebuild’s South Africa table shows 5.8% religiously unaffiliated in 2010 and 3.1% in 2020, using Pew’s all-age population estimates. The seven categories describe religious identity, not how many individuals left religion or experienced harm. Rounded population changes cannot predict acceptance, guilt, safety or a support outcome.
| Identity | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian | 84.3% | 85.3% | +1.0 pp |
| Muslim | 1.9% | 1.6% | -0.3 pp |
| Religiously unaffiliated | 5.8% | 3.1% | -2.7 pp |
| Buddhist | Less than 0.1% | Less than 0.1% | Not calculated |
| Hindu | 1.0% | 1.1% | +0.1 pp |
| Jewish | 0.1% | Less than 0.1% | Not calculated |
| Other religions | 6.7% | 8.9% | +2.2 pp |
“Other religions” combines traditions that cannot be analyzed separately here. A “less than” input stays an inequality; a change involving it is not calculated. Rounding and demographic processes matter. Nationality does not establish anyone’s beliefs.
Pew’s original South Africa table, PDF page 18 ↗ · Methods and downloadable calculations
What kind of support does Rage 2 Rebuild offer in South Africa?
Rage 2 Rebuild offers non-urgent personal conversation about planning to leave in South Africa. There is no payment to send a message and no guaranteed response time. This is remote contact with Elder X, not therapy, legal advice, emergency help or a verified local referral. Choose qualified support when the decision requires it.
For consequential questions involving law, safety, children, health or institutional records, seek the appropriate qualified source and ask about privacy before sharing identifying details. For general stress skills, the World Health Organization’s Doing What Matters guide is an external educational resource; it is not a study of people using this site or proof of a particular recovery result.
What else should I know about planning to leave in South Africa?
Rage 2 Rebuild’s six answers about planning to leave in South Africa address formal identity, private belief and public disclosure. The 9 September 2019 chapter’s “Constitution and government” passage provides country background. Use these questions to distinguish your next decision, that source’s limits, religious-identity figures and remote contact.
How can I prepare to leave religion in South Africa?
Rage 2 Rebuild’s starting point for planning to leave in South Africa is: Choose the first change you can make without losing an essential support. Separate formal identity, private belief and public disclosure before choosing an action. The country report provides dated context; it does not settle the personal choice. If essential needs or legal consequences are involved, verify the actual situation with appropriate current help.
What does the country report establish about planning to leave in South Africa?
Rage 2 Rebuild uses “Constitution and government” in Humanists International’s South Africa chapter, updated 9 September 2019, to identify a relevant institutional question. The report flags “Expression of core humanist principles on democracy, freedom or human rights is somewhat restricted.” That is dated country context, not a finding about family reactions, emotions or access to an individual service. Check the original passage and current facts before applying it.
Does reading a leaving guide mean I have decided to leave?
No. You can use the questions while remaining religious, undecided or interested in a different interpretation. A guide should give you room to think, not claim your decision for you. Rage 2 Rebuild’s South Africa guide addresses formal identity, private belief and public disclosure; the dated country findings provide context for that distinction, not a prediction about your circumstances.
Can a country report tell me whether my family will accept me?
No. Institutional findings help identify questions to verify; they do not measure your household, predict a relative or establish an individual safety level. Rage 2 Rebuild’s South Africa guide addresses formal identity, private belief and public disclosure; the dated country findings provide context for that distinction, not a prediction about your circumstances.
What do the religious-identity figures for South Africa establish?
Rage 2 Rebuild’s South Africa table shows 5.8% religiously unaffiliated in 2010 and 3.1% in 2020, using Pew’s all-age population estimates. The seven categories describe religious identity, not how many individuals left religion or experienced harm. Rounded population changes cannot predict acceptance, guilt, safety or a support outcome.
Does Rage 2 Rebuild provide local or emergency support in South Africa?
Rage 2 Rebuild offers remote, non-urgent personal conversation about planning to leave. No local office, clinician or verified referral network in South Africa is claimed. There is no payment to send a message and no guaranteed reply time. For immediate danger, use appropriate emergency help where you are rather than this form.