Scientology actually has a long history in the Republic of South Africa, although not on the warmest terms during the era of the pro-apartheid government whose repressive racist policies were in complete  varience with basic Scientology beliefs such as those expressed in the Creed of the Church of Scientology. 

Freedom Magazine, published by the Church of Scientology International, describes some of the work Scientologists did at that time to expose human rights violations in the country.

  Freedom’s investigation revealed a shocking picture of inhumanity, in which 10,000 natives—more than 70 percent of all black certified mental patients in South Africa—were detained in nine Smith-Mitchell facilities as virtual prisoners, and hired out as an involuntary slave labor force. The patients lived in base conditions, with minimal nutrition and care. The camps were devoid of equipped medical facilities, and at least one patient died every day.

      The subservience and cooperation of patients was obtained by subjecting them to psychiatric drugs and, where deemed necessary, transporting them to nearby state psychiatric facilities where they were administered electro-convulsive therapy (ECT)—without anesthetic.

      Freedom’s charges were investigated by the United Nations’ World Health Organization, which concluded, “The limited evidence available on the conditions within the private mental institutions suggests that the ‘sanitaria’ are in fact custodial institutions with very few discharges per year, and with poor standards of patient care. … [I]n a country which is among the richest in the world, the type and quality of mental health care are determined by the colour of the patient’s skin.”

      The American Psychiatric Association dispatched an investigative team to South Africa which reported that the “most shocking finding” was the “high number of needless deaths among black patients” in the camps.

      The then-apartheid government of South Africa responded by passing a law banning the publication of material or photographs about the psychiatric camps.

      After the fall of apartheid in 1994, Freedom and the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), an international psychiatric watchdog group established by the Church of Scientology in 1969, brought this dark chapter of apartheid to the attention of the new government. In 1995, the Minister of Health ordered an inquiry to investigate and report on any current malpractice or violation of human rights in psychiatric hospitals.

      By 1996, the inquiry issued its damning findings, and recommended strong reforms, which are now becoming a reality.

In late 2003 the Church of Scientology of Johannesburg moved to a beautiful new church, set up to better service the community.  It was such a special occasion that Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center, David Miscavige, traveled to the country to attend and speak at the grand opening. Although he has been Chairman of the Board of RTC since the mid-1980’s this was Mr. Miscavige’s first visit to South Africa but he promised to return again soon.