Bishops of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa have called into question the practice of countries arming themselves to achieve military might and trade in machines of war, violence and conflict.

In a statement adopted at a meeting of the Synod of Bishops held in Modderpoort, and presented to the Minister of Defence, Mr Joe Modise, in Pretoria on 22nd September, the Bishops indicated that whereas countries should be promoting peace, they were alarmed that so much store was still set in military might - with all the inherent threats that this entails.

The Bishops said they rejected, in the strongest terms, the notion of the "threatened neighbour" scenario. They pointed out that no country in southern Africa faced the threat of war from any of its neighbours.

The only threat posed is that which would arise as a result of a build-up of military strength by a nation, they said.

In presenting the Statement on the quest for peace, Archbishop Ndungane pointed out that it had the support from Bishops representing people in several southern African countries, including Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique and St Helena.

The Bishops also sent a strong message to the South African Minister of Defence from the meeting. They said that the South African Government was sending mixed messages to its neighbours and the world by posing as a peacemaker, on the one hand, but in promoting military activity on the other.

In a memorandum handed to the Minister of Defence, Mr Joe Modise, on 22nd September the Church of the Province of Southern Africa said the specific role of South Africa in the scenario of arms sales was one which it rejected as being inconsistent with its role as a newly-democratic state to which the world turns for a lead in brokering peace.

The Anglican Church called on the South African Government to rescind its decision to sell arms to any foreign country, and for it to scale down its capacity to manufacture arms to a level that would be consistent with ensuring the country's self-sufficiency in maintaining basic defence for itself in an age of peace.