The Growth of Sexual Immorality in Contemporary South Africa

Because of South Africa’s isolation during the apartheid era, many Afrikaner-Boers remained to a large degree unaffected by many of the liberal movements of the second half of the twentieth century. Television was only introduced to South Africa in 1976, due to opposition from conservatives concerning potential liberal propaganda.¹ The sexual revolution that hit the West during the 1960s and 70s was likewise delayed. It hit South Africa around the early 1990s. This sexual revolution brought with it the liberal ideas that free sex outside of traditional, monogamous relationships is acceptable in society, as well as pornography, homosexuality, divorce, and abortion.² Feminism and cultural Marxism naturally accompanied these other liberal ideals.³ Since the fall of the National Party government, the liberal ideals of the sexual revolution spread through the country rapidly, especially through its promotion by Hollywood. Liberalism has taken hold of every sphere of South African life; the prophecies of Romans 1 have become true of South Africa as well. In verse 24, Paul writes that because of the pagans’ sinfulness, “God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves” (NKJV).

In South Africa, any woman can get an abortion on request, without any reasons given, if she is less than thirteen weeks pregnant. If she is between thirteen and twenty weeks pregnant, she only has to be of the personal opinion that her economic or social situation is sufficiently bad to terminate her pregnancy. If she is more than twenty weeks pregnant, she can get the abortion only if her life or the fetus’s is in danger, or if there are likely to be serious birth defects. Girls under the age of eighteen do not even have to consult their parents before they get an abortion.⁴ Even though doctors may decline to give a woman an abortion, they are obligated by law to inform the woman of her rights and refer her to another health worker or facility to get one.⁵ Apart from the fact that, according to the Bible, abortion is murder (Ps. 139:13-15; Ex. 21:22-25), the fact that abortions are so easy to get encourages further immoral sexual behavior among South African youth. Ironically, ANC youth league president Julius Malema recently referred to apartheid as a “murderous system,” even though abortion legislation has been progressively weakening. Abortion was only legal in South Africa for very limited reasons until 1997, when the ANC and the former Democratic Party (now the Democratic Alliance) voted for the “abortion on demand” legislation. Today, an estimated 85,000 abortions per year take place in South Africa⁶, which really ridicules Mr. Malema’s statement. This statistic alone should be enough to convince any true believer that the new South Africa, with its liberal (and corrupt) democracy is not a God-glorifying system.

On the 14th of November, 2006, South Africa legalized same-sex marriage, making it one among the very few countries in the world to do so. The liberal influence of the West is also clear in the fact that South Africa is the only country in Africa where same-sex marriage is legal.⁷ In 2005, the Dutch Reformed Church (the largest church among Afrikaners) repealed their previous stance that homosexuality is sin and said that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation and regardless of whether they actively practice that lifestyle, are welcome in the church.⁸ Homosexuality has become so acceptable in society that today, many young women often refer to their homosexual friends as “cute” or” adorable,” while “perverse” and “godless” would be better descriptions. The number of homosexuals in the country is rapidly increasing, and what was considered a disgrace some thirty years ago has now become very acceptable. One can literally see the prophecies of Romans 1 being fulfilled before one’s own eyes.

However, the growth of sexual immorality is probably nowhere so clearly and publicly seen as in South African nightclubs. Of course, the degree of godlessness differs from place to place, and Bloemfontein’s nightlife would be much more endurable for a young Christian than that of Cape Town, Durban, or Johannesburg. This being said, it is commonplace for young woman to dress inappropriately when they go out at night (and I’m not saying this from an extreme conservative puritan approach, by any stretch of the imagination). Young men and woman often go out at night in search of one-night stands, and advise others to always make sure they have a condom with them, just in case they get “lucky.” Speaking of condoms, with the huge threat of HIV and AIDS in South Africa, they’re also freely available in many public bathrooms (although stocks don’t always last that long!). Pornography is as available and easily accessible as in any modern Western country, and even high school girls –- including in my home town, Bloemfontein — have started making their own sex videos. Because perverted lesbianism arouses man in his fallen state, many young girls experiment with bisexuality in order to give young men a turn-on. Young Afrikaner men often sit around the “braai” late at night, bragging about their sexual expeditions, even openly admitting to their friends how they cheated on their girlfriends.

Interracial dating and sex also accompany this growth in sexual immorality, and has even become fashionable in some extremely liberal, English-speaking communities like Durban and Cape Town.

Divorce in South Africa is actually on the decline,⁹ but this is only because young people have such a low view of the divine institution of monogamous marriage in the first place. They prefer not to get married at all and live out their sexual desires freely outside of marriage. Because of this liberal view of sex and marriage, birth rates among whites have rapidly declined since the early 1990s,¹⁰ and our people, very much like all white nations around the world, have been ignoring the divine command of Gen. 1:28 to be fruitful and multiply.

God’s punishment on this immoral sexual behavior is also clear for all to see, what with the rapid spread of AIDS and the large amounts of rapes in South Africa. Six million people in South Africa are infected with HIV, and more than 300,000 people die of AIDS each year.¹¹ Furthermore, there are 55,000 reported cases of rape in this country annually, while 450,000 rape cases go unreported.¹²

The Word of God commands us to put to death our sinful, immoral sexual desires (Col. 3:5). We are to live holy lives, different from the world in every respect (Lev. 19:2). This means that when we have a change of heart through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5), we desire not the things of the world, but our desire is to keep God’s commandments out of love for Him (I John 2:4-5). Sadly, South Africa, including so many of the Afrikaner people, under the influence of liberalism, have traded a love of God’s commandments for a love of the world. The need of repentance is as great as ever, if the people of this country are to escape God’s just punishment of sin.

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