About

Kairos Southern Africa was launched on 9 March 2011 to carry forward the legacy of Kairos theology in Southern Africa and to be in solidarity with others throughout the world.

If you wish to donate to the work of Kairos Southern Africa, our bank details are:

Name of Account:           Kairos SA

Account number              402034600

Branch number:               006305

Branch name:                    Cresta

Swiftcode                           SBZAZAJJ

Bank:                                     Standard Bank

For more information, please email Rev Edwin Arrison at kairossouthernafrica@gmail.com

Latest draft: Constitution of Kairos Southern Africa

 1. Preface:         Kairos Southern Africa recognise the interrelatedness and interdependence of the struggles of the peoples of Southern Africa, and the role that faith has played and continue to play in the humanisation or dehumanisation processes in our different countries and regions. The South African Kairos document of 1985 recognises that Church and State Theologies, while often dominant, need the corrective of Prophetic Theology in order for faith to be credible. The Zimbabwe Kairos document of 1988 builds upon this prophetic tradition. This organisation and network is now conceived and established to reconnect and nurture the prophetic voice that recognises God’s face in the face of the poor and most marginalised people inSouthern Africa.

2. Name:                                    Kairos Southern  Africa

3. Nature:                     

Kairos Southern  Africa shall be a voluntary and non-profit association of individual members participating in

• Local/regional Kairos groups
• A Southern African Kairos network of such individuals and groups

 In accordance with the provisions of section 15 and 22 of the NPO Act respectively, with effect from the date of the issue of the certificate of registration referred to in these sections and until the cancellation of the certificate (but subject to the provisions of section 22 of the NPO Act) this organisation shall be and operate as a body corporate and have an identity and existence distinct from its members and office-bearers

4. Vision:                        A humanity with a Kairos consciousness

5. Mission and objectives:   

5.1 To be a group that provides encouragement and/or support for those who live out a Kairos spirituality

5.2 To carry forward the legacy of the 1985 Kairos document and continue to explore the challenges arising from Church, State and Prophetic Theology

            5.3 To connect with other Kairos prophetic voices on the African continent and in the rest of the world

5.4 To be part of and assist in strengthening the civil society movement inSouthern Africa

5.5 To encourage other countries to draft their own Kairos documents as appropriate to their contexts.

5.6 To intervene in theological education inSouthern Africato ensure that Kairos Theology gains its rightful place

5.7 To publish material related to Kairos Theology

5.8 To be enriched by prophetic spirituality from persons and communities other than the Christian context

 5.9 To identify and pursue ways to nurture progressive Christian/ faith-based activism inSouthern Africa.

 5.10     To facilitate a coherent, bold and prophetic voice in relation to current trends in our countries, the continent and beyond.

 6.     Fundamental perspectives and values

6.1     Liberation is an event; justice is a process

6.2    Apartheid and colonialism should not be allowed to continue under new management

6.3  God sides with and God’s voice is mainly to be heard amongst the poor and oppressed, the marginalised and powerless

6.4  Empire and patriarchy expressed as the quest for power over and domination of others, expresses the opposite of the reign of God; Communion and ubuntu are the true signs of God’s reign

Values statement

Unconditional love

Freedom from fear

Practical/concrete hope

Advocacy for justice

Courage

Humility

Solidarity

 Truth

Responsibility

 Openness to all

 7.    POWERS OF ASSOCIATION:

Kairos Southern Africa shall have all such powers as are necessary for the attainment of its objects including, without limitation, the powers:-

7.1 to acquire and dispose of any moveable or immovable property;

7.2 in its name, to institute or defend any legal, arbitration or other proceedings, and to compromise such;

7.3 in its name to open any banking or other account and to operate thereon;

7.4 to invest any of its moneys with or without interest;

7.5 to raise moneys in any manner approved by the Executive committee;

7.6 through the Executive, to employ staff;

7.7 to do all such things as may be consistent with theMission, Objects and other terms of this Constitution.

        8.        Membership:

8.1 Membership in “Kairos Southern Africa” is open to individuals who concur with the values, mission and vision statement.

8.2 Membership is given upon the receipt of the minimum annual membership fee (100, 00 South African rands in 2011)

8.3 The organisation will continue to exist irrespective of change of members and office-bearers

 9.   Termination of membership:

9.1 Membership will be terminated if

1. The membership fee has not been paid by the date of the AGM
2. The member requests that her/his membership be terminated
3. 75% of those present at an AGM decides to terminate an individual’s membership

9.2 Honorary membership may be granted to individuals from time to time. The process towards determining such membership will be determined by a Policy document that will be adopted at an AGM.

10.            Financial year:

The financial year runs from 1 January to 31 December.

11.Income and property

                        The organisations’ income and property are not distributable to its members or office-bearers except as reasonable compensation for services rendered.

                        None of the members or office-bearers of Kairos Southern Africa have any rights in connection with the property or assets of the organisation by virtue of being members or office-bearers.

                        A bank account will be opened in the name of Kairos Southern Africa and will be administered by the Treasurer, with two signatories required for all payments, one being the Treasurer and the other being either the Chairperson or Assistant Treasurer.

12.            Meetings:

12.1           Members are encouraged to organise themselves into regional/provincial/national chapters and to have a minimum of 1 constitutional Kairos Southern Africa meeting every six months,  as appropriate to their context

12.2           Each region/province will select its own co-ordinator, who will connect and communicate with the Southern Africa Co-ordinator

12.3           An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held no later than 5 months after the end of each financial year

12.4           An Executive Committee comprising a Chairperson, Vice-chairperson, General Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer and 3 other executive members will be elected at an AGM. A team to drive all the initial processes will be elected via email by those who have expressed an initial interest to be members of Kairos Southern Africa, and this will be ratified or reviewed at the first AGM.

12.5           An annual report will be compiled by the Executive Committee and submitted to the AGM

12.6           Notice of the AGM, together with an Agenda, will be issued at least 21 days before the date of the AGM

12.7           At least 50% + 1 member must be present at all constitutional Kairos Southern Africa meetings to form a quorum and make decisions

12.8           In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice chairperson will lead the meeting, and if both are absent, the meeting will elect one of the Executive Committee members to lead the meeting

12.9           Meetings should take place face to face, but in exceptional circumstances telecom meetings are acceptable.

12.10        Minutes of all constitutional Kairos Southern Africa meetings will be held in a minute book by the General Secretary, whether these meetings are held electronically or face to face.

12.11        Decisions of the Executive Committee and AGM will be made by consensus. In cases where this is not possible, the chairperson will determine if a vote is possible. All ordinary decision will then be taken by one more than 50% of the vote and extraordinary decisions by 70% of those present.

13.            Governance and management:

13.1           The organisation shall be managed by its Executive Committee.

13.2           The Executive Committee elected at the AGM shall meet at least twice per annum, one of which must be face to face

14.            Offices:

14.1           The organisation shall not have central offices, until an AGM decides otherwise, but will be located across the different countries ofSouthern Africa.  Our domicile of choice will be (the street address of the TEASA offices will be added here)

14.2           All correspondence to the organisation shall be addressed to a central Postal address and a central email and fax address (PO Box228, Onrusriver, 7201, earrison78@telkomsa.net and fax no 0866094025)

14.3.          Communication with members will happen primarily via email, to the email address given on the membership form. It will be the responsibility of each member to see that the organisation has the correct and most current email address to facilitate all communication. It will be assumed that the person has received the email once it has been sent and is not returned to the sender.

14.4           A website for the organisation will be set up.

15.            Legal liability:

15.1                     This organisation is a legal entity in its own right and accepts its own legal liability

15.2                     This organisation exists in its own name separate from any name used by its constituent members.

16.            Amendments to the constitution:

16.1           Amendments to this constitution can only be made at an AGM or a Special General Meeting called for this purpose.

16.2           The proposed changes shall be circulated to all members no fewer than 21 calendar days before the commencement of the meeting.

17.            Dissolution of the organisation:

 17.1           The organisation shall be dissolved if  70% of members resolve to do so at a Special or Annual General meeting

17.2           Notice of such a meeting must be given no less than 21 days prior to such meeting wherein the objective of the meeting is clearly spelt out

17.3           If a quorum for such a meeting does not exist, the meeting will be postponed for not fewer than seven (7) days. All members at the meeting will then form a quorum on condition that at least 10 members are present.

17.4           If the decision is made to dissolve the organisation, and after all debts have been paid, the remaining assets will be donated to an organisation with similar objectives.

17.5           The receiving organisation will be determined by the members at the special dissolution meeting or AGM

This constitution was adopted at a General meeting held on   ……………………………………………

Proposed by:……………………………………………….

Seconded by:………………………………………………………

Signed at …………………………………………….. on this …………………………………………….. 2010

Chairperson…………………………………………………………………………………….

General Secretary…………………………………………………………………………………………

Treasurer………………………………………………………………………………………….