Mr. David Miscavige - a Most Special Guest

Seven years ago, the Church of Scientology of Johannesburg opened the doors of its new headquarters in Kensington, the hub of Scientology activity in South Africa. More then 1,400 well-wishers and guests - government and religious leaders, human rights champions, celebrities and professionals, church members and friends - came from all over Africa and from many countries to celebrate the landmark dedication.

See more about the Church of Scientology of Johannesburg on Scientology.org

The event was capped by the appearance of the senior Scientology executive Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of Religious Technology Center, custodian of the religious scriptures of Scientology.

Mr. David Miscavige's presence to dedicate and open this new church was significant, both for him, personally, as a first-time visitor to the country, as well as for the parishioners of the 45-year-old Johannesburg Scientology church. "It is my honor to address you, to walk in a land where L. Ron Hubbard laid so many milestones, and on this, your milestone day," he stated.

The Chairman of the Board traced the history of Mr. Hubbard's experience in South Africa, where, in characteristic style, he observed life by rubbing elbows with many Africans of all stations, befriending government ministers, entering the townships, attending tribal celebrations and seeing life as it actually was in apartheid South Africa.

Beneath apartheid's suppression "of virtually every indigenous people, perpetrated by the same psychiatric ideologies that laid six million to rest under the banner of eugenics during the second world war," Mr. L. Ron Hubbard found "an unbroken tradition of spiritualism extending back to the very dawn of man," and "an indomitable human spirit that, although suppressed, no one could extinguish," said Mr. David Miscavige.

He spoke, as well, of Mr. Hubbard's certainty that indeed Africa was "'the cradle of civilization,' possessing a spirit that, if sparked, could burn forth throughout the world," echoing Mr. Hubbard's prediction, "From South Africa will spring the next great civilization on this planet."

He warmly acknowledged the work of South African Scientologists over the past forty-five years, singling out the results of their dedication, accomplishments that for decades have set the example for social betterment efforts by Scientologists the world over: their exposure of psychiatric labor camps and their relentless efforts until basic human rights were restored under the law to those Black citizens; their empowerment of the next generation through their educational programs; and their success in calming full-scale riots through their wide distribution of a moral code to whole districts.

And of the South Africa of today, Mr. David Miscavige pointed out that its problems of unemployment and crime, the inevitable result of half a century of social strife, are "evidence of the fact that 'freedom from' is no freedom at all without the means to achieve that 'higher goal.'"

Thus, he said, it falls within the tradition of Scientologists here to rekindle the spirit of the African continent by providing workable solutions to those areas of social decline that so grip our land - immorality, illiteracy, drug addiction and criminality, in particular.

Mr. David Miscavige recounted that, on September 11, "when the curtain came down, exposing the fragile state of the world," Scientologists everywhere heard their "wake-up call." The urgency of the mission became even clearer and the efforts and dedication have intensified since. That intensity led ultimately to the opening in the last two years to three new international headquarters for their social betterment organizations, as well as the expansion of churches around the world.

The final step of that wake-up call, he said, was the creation of this new type of church, which we celebrate not just as a magnificent structure, but all that it represents in the building of a new Africa, and the realization of the dreams of L. Ron Hubbard as expressed when he said, "From Southern Africa will spring the next great civilization on this planet...."

Mr. David Miscavige - assisted by Councilwoman Milner, Commissioner Reddy, Ms. Mashabele, Minister Ngubane, and the Church of Scientology Johannesburg's top executives - cut the ribbon and welcomed all to tour the main facility, the chapel and other buildings of the new Church of Scientology of Johannesburg.