South African Pagan Rights Alliance - SAPRA

The South African Pagan Rights Alliance (SAPRA) was formed in 2004 as a faith-based (Pagan) human rights activist alliance.

SAPRA currently fulfills several important functions in line with its constitutional mandate, namely, to promote the guaranteed liberties and freedoms enshrined for all South African Pagans in the Bill of Rights and assist South African Pagans, whose constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms have been infringed due to unfair discrimination, to obtain appropriate redress.

Several successive Executive Committees have executed their mandate in a number of ways, including addressing and challenging media prejudice against Paganism, promoting positive media coverage of Paganism in general, challenging institutional and legislative prejudice against Witchcraft, and offering non-legal assistance to Pagans seeking advice or assistance in dealing with incidences of discrimination.

In February 2008 the South African Department of Home Affairs approved an application submitted by SAPRA for designation as a religious organisation in terms of section 5 (1) and (2) of the Civil Union Act (Act 17 of 2006). According to section 5 of the Civil Union Act SAPRA now appoints Pagan religious marriage officers who may solemnise both same-sex and heterosexual marriages. SAPRA was the first South African Pagan organisation to be granted this designation.

SAPRA is a Paralegal NGO.