Preferential option for the poor in the current context of poverty in South Africa: doing liberation theology in the footsteps of Simon Maimela Olehile Buffel Department of Practical Theology, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa Abstract Maimela made an immense contribution to theological discourse in South Africa, with global implications and in dialogue with the rest of the theological world. The article is particularly interested in the area of liberation theology, especially its preferential option for the poor to which Maimela made some monumental contributions. For his contribution Maimela deserves a special place in the history of the theological developments and modern trends in theology both in the world and in Africa. The article maintains that years after liberation and the dawn of democracy in South Africa, there is still need for liberation theology and its phrase “preferential option for the poor” given the prevalent poverty and associated socio-economic and political conditions in South Africa. As theologians “do theology” in the South African context, they have to adopt this preferential option for the poor and oppressed. Only then can they contribute to transformation of society, an agenda to which Maimela is committed. Introduction It is a great honour and privilege to make a humble contribution to academic efforts to honour Professor Simon Maimela, an intellectual giant whose “sandals I am not worthy to untie”. As a theologian he made significant contributions to theological developments in Africa, which according to Maimela and König (1998:3) “needed to be brought to the attention of the rest of the theological world”. The history of theological developments in the world and in particular in South Africa should therefore have a special place for Simon Maimela and the immense contribution to theological discourse that he made. The theological contribution that Maimela made over the years is not neutral but committed to the transformation of society. It is committed to overcoming human oppression. He remarked about liberation theology that ”it is directed against major social evils of our time and claims to offer a new way of doing theology that contributes to overcoming human oppression” (Maimela 1993:54). While his contribution is wide ranging and encyclopaedic, the interest of this article is focussed on the area of liberation theology, especially its insistence on the literal (material) poor and the “divine preferential option for the poor” and its relevance to South Africa in the current context of poverty. Review of literature on the preferential option for the poor Liberation theologians uphold an unapologetic consensus with regard to the controversial phrase, “preferential option for the poor”. This viewpoint has been controversial since the dawn of liberation theology in Latin America and later in other parts of the world such as the USA and South Africa. One could not articulate it better than Dorr (1983:243) who said the following about the controversial phrase that is very common in literature on liberation theology: The phrase burst upon the ecclesiastical scene only a few years ago. Since then it has become the most controversial religious term since the Reformers cry, “salvation by faith alone”. Nolan (1985:188) acknowledged the controversial nature of the phrase in his statement that Dorr is not exaggerating, for this phrase challenges churches and theologians in a very fundamental way (cf. Gutiérrez 2005:19). In fact, according to Nolan (1987:1), it is not only the phrase that is controversial, but the whole theology of liberation has become a controversial subject in South Africa. He was writing in the context of apartheid South Africa during the time of repression and the State of Emergency that was declared on June 1986. Now that official apartheid is gone from the statutes, and all citizens are able to cast their votes and even be in parliament and in government, can we say that