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Prayers for Zuma as traditional and religious leaders protect him from 'charlatans and political celebrities'

ANC President Jacob Zuma greets delegates before the start of the ANC Policy conference taking place at Nasrec. Picture Credit: Masi Losi
ANC President Jacob Zuma greets delegates before the start of the ANC Policy conference taking place at Nasrec. Picture Credit: Masi Losi

Pray for our beloved country to ensure that we don’t collapse into further economic crisis.

That’s the aim of dozens of members of the National Interfaith Council of South Africa (NICSA) in partnership with the Amakhosi endabuko (traditional leaders) who will hold a prayer meeting in Durban on Monday morning.

The prayer comes as National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete is due to announce on Monday whether she will allow a secret ballot during the motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday and national protest marches calling for Zuma to leave office.

Nicsa’s Bishop TB Ngcobo said marches in support of plans to oust the democratically elected government in our country were counter-productive.

“We regard the marches and the vote of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma as a ganging up of opposition parties and certain groupings as a clear stand of populism to gain publicity. As leaders in this country‚ we played a critical role to ensure the ANC defeats the apartheid regime. Therefore‚ it remains our responsibility to remind the people of this country where we are coming from and stand against all efforts that seek to destroy the gains of democracy.”

Ngcobo said the country was already reeling from its junk status rating and high unemployment levels.

“We are worried about these results. If opposition parties succeed then investors will withdraw and what will happen to our ratings then?

“We are not saying that we support Jacob Zuma as a person but we’re against the motion of no confidence because of the impact on the country. We are asking the people to be patient and let him finish his term for two years.”

Ngcobo said the attempts to remove a democratically elected president from office by self-positioning statements made by “charlatans and political celebrities” only aimed to confuse the masses.

 

 

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