fwd: Scientology's IFP links
Tilman Hausherr
Mail & Guardian, Vol 13, No 8, February 28 to March 6 1997
Scientology's IFP links
By Stefaans Brummer
The controversial Church of Scientology has bestowed a "freedom
medal" on Lawrence Anthony, KwaZulu-Natal businessman and confidant
of Mangosuthu Buthelezi, shedding new light on the close links
between the church and the Inkatha Freedom Party.
The Mail & Guardian reported in November 1994 that Anthony and
Businesswise Management Consultants, a management consultancy then run
by church member Alan Murray, helped the IFP reorganise its
administration before the 1994 elections.
Murray downplayed the role of the Church of Scientology in
reorganising the management of the IFP, but the M&G showed that
Businesswise was licenced by the World Institute of Scientology
Enterprises (WISE) to "disseminate administrative technology"
developed by L. Ron Hubbard. And in October 1994 the IFP called for
an inquiry into mental institutions - a pet cause of Scientologists,
who oppose traditional psychological and psychiatric practices.
Anthony and Murray both denied the initiative originated with them,
saying it had come from IFP branches.
But "Impact", the magazine of the International Association of
Scientologists (IAS), reported late last year that Anthony had been
selected as one of four winners internationally of the 1996 IAS
Freedom medal "for his work in helping his country with LRH tech
[Scientology jargon for L. Ron Hubbard technology]".
The publication listed Anthony's successes: "as the
administrative consultant of the Zulu Inkatha Freedom Party, Lawrence
assumed responsibility for the whole of that movement's structure. He
explained LRH organisational basics and in 1994 LRH's organising
board was approved by the [IFP] central committee as the offical
management system for the party."
"Impact" implies that Anthony had a strong hand in the IFP call
for an inquiry into mental institutions: "Lawrence, joining forces
with the Citizen's Commission on Human Rights [a Scientology body],
then turned his attention to the root of apartheid - psychiatry."
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Weekly Mail & Guardian, November 4 1994
IFP's curious Scientology friends
A business consultancy linked to the Scientology movement advised
IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi, report Stefaans Brummer and Farouk
Chothia
FOLLOWERS of Scientology -- the highly controversial American
"religion" -- have been courting Home Affairs Minister Mangosuthu
Buthelezi and his Inkatha Freedom Party.
The IFP, which is well-known for its reliance on outsiders for
political and organisational advice, contracted a Johannesburg close
corporation, Businesswise Management Consultants -- described by a
scientologist source as a "Scientology front" -- before the elections
to help with the administrative restructuring of the party.
Businesswise was brought to the IFP last year on the
recommendation of Natal businessman Laurence Anthony, a close
associate and advisor of Buthelezi. Anthony on Thursday confirmed he
had "studied Scientology" but denied it was "a big spook". He said
Businesswise had worked with him until April 27 in "evolving an
organisational plan" for the IFP, and that he still provided a
"business service" to the party free of charge.
Anthony said some IFP leaders, including secretary general Ziba
Jiyane, were aware of his Scientology links. "They have no problem
with it."
He described it as "patent nonsense" that Scientology groups
operate "deviously".
Businesswise is licenced by the World Institute of Scientology
Enterprises (Wise) International to "disseminate administrative
technology" developed by the founder of Scientology, L Ron Hubbard.
Trademarks used by Wise International are held by the Religious
Technology Centre (RTC) which, according to Scientology literature,
"is the protector of the Scientology religion ... The purpose of RTC
is to safeguard the proper use of trademarks, to protect the public
and to make sure that the powerful technology of Dianetics and
Scientology remains in good hands and is properly used".
Businesswise executive director Alan Murray this week denied his
company had "anything to do with Scientology", but acknowledged: "If
you want to be devious you can say there is a connection."
He said Businesswise was franchised by Wise International to
deliver a management system developed by Hubbard, but that Hubbard
wrote widely on matters other than religion. "It is just a regular
management system used right across the world."
Scientology literature makes it clear, however, that Businesswise
was set up by Scientologists in South Africa. A document quotes
Johannesburg Scientology "patron" Earnest Corbett as saying: "I have
helped to start a successful Wise group, a U-Man group and a field
auditing practice -- all of which are doing splendidly."
Scientology "patrons" such as Corbett are described as "special
public individuals who have greatly assisted the International
Association of Scientologists by making contributions to its `war
chest'. This war chest is used for projects that guarantee the future
of the Scientology religion on this planet and which advance
Scientology through broad dissemination."
Mail & Guardian investigations have determined that Businesswise
earlier shared a business address with Corbett, and that U-Man South
Africa, also franchised by Scientology, still shares an office with
Businesswise -- a clear indication that Businesswise is the "Wise
group" Corbett is quoted to have helped establish.
Murray said Businesswise had made contact with the IFP last year
through Anthony and senior IFP figures including MZ Khumalo (of
Inkathagate fame) and Jiyane.
He said Businesswise had a six-month contract with the party,
ending shortly before the elections, to help restructure their
administrative structures. He said he was still "very interested in
how they are progressing".
Meanwhile, in a recent International Association of
Scientologists video transmitted via satellite to all Scientology
"orgs" -- jargon for organisations -- David Miscavige, successor to
Hubbard, boasts that "we have been working in South Africa with
Minister Buthelezi to get LRH (L Ron Hubbard) tech (jargon for the
Scientology philosophy) in", said a Scientology source.
Miscavige stated that "as a result of this, Buthelezi has now
made calls for investigations into mental institutions, and the war
against the psychs (jargon for psychology and psychiatry) in South
Africa has begun", the source said.
The IFP last month called for a commission of inquiry into mental
institutions, and for the 1976 Mental Health Act, which prohibits
transparency in mental institutions, to be scrapped.
Scientologists are avid opponents of traditional psychiatry and
psychology practices. A Scientology document states: "Germany is the
birthplace of psychiatry and psychology, practices diametrically
opposed to that of Scientology." It says a 1973 mental health
programme in Germany was "countered" by Scientologists "with the
exposure of inhumane activities and psychiatric crimes".
Both Anthony and Murray denied the push for an inquiry into
mental institutions had originated with them, saying it had come from
IFP branches.
Scientology is premised on the system of "auditing", by which
adherents are "cleared" of unhappiness. Detractors charge it is
nothing more than "brainwashing" and point out that intimate secrets
of followers are revealed in the process -- which makes it difficult
for them to leave the organisation.
The Church of Scientology has been involved in numerous law suits
in the United States. It is currently suing Time magazine for a 1991
article, "The thriving cult of greed and power". In the 1980s 11 top
Scientologists, including Hubbard's wife, were jailed for
infiltrating, burgling and wire tapping more than 100 private and
government agencies in attempts to block their investigations.
Tilman Hausherr
Mail & Guardian, Vol 13, No 9, March 7 - 13 1997, Johannesburg, South
Africa
IFP DENIES SCIENTOLOGY LINKS
The Inkatha Freedom Party says it has no links with the
controversial Church of Scientology. The party was responding to an
article in the Mail & Guardian last week which noted the receipt of a
Scientology medal by Lawrence Anthony, who is a confidant of
Mangosuthu Buthelezi and an associate of Scientology church member,
Alan Murray.
IFP MP Inka Mars said the party had broken all ties with Murray
after it had "verified the facts" of a November 1994 Mail & Guardian
article which claimed that Murray had designed a new administrative
structure for the IFP that was Scientology inspired.